Darfur: An Inquiry in the Framework of the Concepts of Responsibility to Protect and Humanitarian Intervention

Abstract

There is no doubt that gross human rights violations in Darfur exceed the limits of the responsibility to protect of the international community. During the discussions about the situation in Darfur in the Security Council, especially China and Russia put forward the principle of state sovereignty as an argument against intervention. Whatever the result about this contention, it is not possible to take a decision at the Security Council authorizing the member states to intervene in Darfur due to veto right of the permanent members. The African Union as the regional organization would not able to intervene due to its limited capacity and the lack of political will. According to some commentators and states, states like the US or the European Union members who endorse the concept of the responsibility to protect must be able to intervene. Nevertheless, although they never accepted the objection based on the state sovereignty, these states do not have the required political will to intervene by force. This brings us to the result that the major criticism directed against the humanitarian intervention which is its application on a selective basis, persists for the concept of the responsibility to protect as well.

Keywords

Darfur, Responsibility to Protect, Humanitarian Intervention, Sovereignty as Responsibility, African Union

Citation

Keskin, Funda, "Darfur: An Inquiry in the Framework of the Concepts of Responsibility to Protect and Humanitarian Intervention", International Relations, Volume 6, Issue 21 (Spring 2009), pp. 67-88

Affiliations

• Funda KESKİN, Assoc. Prof. Dr., Ankara University, Department of International Relations