Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution?

The briefing examines the paradigm of humanitarian intervention and the 'responsibility to protect' (R2P) in post-cold war Africa. The author contends that these interventions often fail to address deep-seated inequalities and may inadvertently prolong conflicts by creating truces that allow weaker parties to rearm. The text suggests that non-intervention—allowing a conflict to reach a military conclusion—or targeted political and credible protection missions may be more effective alternatives for achieving durable peace.

• Humanitarian interventions in Africa, including those by ECOWAS in Liberia (1990), Sierra Leone (1991 and 2003), and Côte d’Ivoire (2003), as well as African Union missions in Darfur, Burundi (2004), and Somalia (2008), often lacked the necessary rapid deployment and military capabilities to fulfill robust mandates.
• The author argues that humanitarian interventions may be counterproductive, as they can create conditions for weaker combatants to rearm and re-strategise, potentially increasing the number of displaced populations and exacerbating their plight.
• The briefing suggests three alternative tools for conflict management: non-intervention to allow a military victory (particularly in cases of self-determination), political intervention to maintain state sovereignty, and credible protection missions by coalitions with UN Security Council sanctions to defeat aggression.
• The document posits that the current tendency toward humanitarian intervention ignores the root causes of conflict, such as bad governance, deep social inequalities, and human rights violations.

APA

Aboagye, F. B. (n.d.). Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/non-intervention-an-alternative-way-for-modern-conflict-resolution

Chicago

Aboagye, Festus B. Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution? Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/non-intervention-an-alternative-way-for-modern-conflict-resolution.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Aboagye |first1=Festus B |title=Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/non-intervention-an-alternative-way-for-modern-conflict-resolution |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{aboagyendnonintervention, author = {Aboagye, Festus B}, title = {{Non-Intervention: An Alternative Way for Modern Conflict Resolution?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/non-intervention-an-alternative-way-for-modern-conflict-resolution}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }