After the political dust-up in Libya: deepening the Europe-Africa dialogue

The document argues that the 2011 intervention in Libya, led by NATO and driven by European security concerns, has strained the Africa-Europe relationship. It identifies three primary challenges: the hierarchical European framing of North Africa as a distinct security zone compared to Sub-Saharan Africa, disagreements over the 'responsibility to protect' humanitarian norms, and internal divisions within the African Union's foreign policy architecture, specifically between Francophone and Anglophone interests.

• The 2011 intervention in Libya demonstrated a conflict between European security priorities and African geopolitical perspectives, where Europe views North Africa as an 'exceptional case' and a 'higher order political threat configuration' involving terrorism and migration, while the African Union seeks a more robust role in continental challenges.
• The Libyan crisis has highlighted a normative friction regarding the 'responsibility to protect' and the legitimacy of humanitarian interventions, with the African Union showing reluctance to endorse broad NATO-led coalitions.
• The aftermath of the intervention has exacerbated divisions within the African Union's institutional architecture, manifesting as tensions between Francophone Africa (supported by Europe) and an assertive South Africa-led Anglophone role.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2012). After the political dust-up in Libya: deepening the Europe-Africa dialogue. https://saiia.org.za/research/after-the-political-dust-up-in-libya-deepening-the-europe-africa-dialogue/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. After the political dust-up in Libya: deepening the Europe-Africa dialogue. 2012. https://saiia.org.za/research/after-the-political-dust-up-in-libya-deepening-the-europe-africa-dialogue/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=After the political dust-up in Libya: deepening the Europe-Africa dialogue |date=20 January 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/after-the-political-dust-up-in-libya-deepening-the-europe-africa-dialogue/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2012after, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{After the political dust-up in Libya: deepening the Europe-Africa dialogue}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/after-the-political-dust-up-in-libya-deepening-the-europe-africa-dialogue/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }