Confronting complex emergencies in Africa
Subtitle: imperatives of a search for a new doctrine of humanitarian 'security' interventions
By: Festus Boahen Aboagye
Contributors: Institute for Security Studies (South Africa)
Series: ISS paper -- 204; ISS papers -- no. 204.
Publisher: Institute for Security Studies
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Pretoria
Language: eng
Number of pages: 24
Description: Because of dramatic changes in the nature and impact of armed conflict since the end of the Cold War, humanitarian military intervention has assumed increasing importance as a conflict management and resolution tool. Given the lethargic nature of UN interventions, moral imperatives have compelled African institutions to deploy intervention forces, sometimes with weak mandates, insufficient means and heavily dependent on external support. On the ground, the use of force by such "humanitarian" operations has not materially impacted the security situation, or been able to meet heightened public expectations in the protection of civilians. This is because "robust" multidimensional peace operations have sought merely to adapt the Cold War doctrine of peacekeeping to compelling new realities, primarily focusing on humanitarian assistance, as opposed to the restoration of security. These inadequacies underscore the need for rethinking current responses on a new doctrine of "humanitarian security intervention" with a mandate allowing a higher remit in the use of force, primarily to restore and maintain security. Such a responsive doctrine promises to address compelling humanitarian imperatives, and meet increasing public expectations of effective civilian protection.
Notes: Caption title.

"November 2009."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 20-24).

Also available online in PDF format from Institute for Security Studies web site. Adobe Acrobat Reader required.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: The humanitarian intervention narrative : dilemma of doctrinal adaptation and transformation; title: Humanitarianism and humanitarian military intervention dichotomy; title: Proximate inconsistence in humanitarian military intervention; title: Key generic challenges in existing conceptual frameworks; title: The mandate lacuna : pragmatic incremental ambiguities and mismatched means; title: Conundrum of the operational application of protection mandates; title: Old and new lessons from Somalia and Darfur; title: The police dimension in humanitarian military interventions; title: Humanitarian security intervention : towards a doctrinal framework definition; title: Higher intent : creating conditions for (political) peace; title: Higher intent : primacy of creating security conditions; title: Campaign planning : synergy of strategic-operational phases of intervention; title: Rapid deployment capabilities; title: Concept of operations.