Badescu, CG and Bergholm, L (2009) The Responsibility To Protect and the Conflict in Darfur: The Big Let-Down. Security Dialogue, 40 (3). pp. 287-309. ISSN 0967-0106
Abstract
This article discusses the international response to the conflict in Darfur from 2003 onwards in order to explore some of the key challenges related to implementing the responsibility to protect (R2P). First, we show that the debates on R2P in connection to Darfur translated into little more substantive action than the pragmatic decision to deploy peace operations with mandates that included civilian protection, as suggested by the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS), and later by the hybrid UN—AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Second, we argue that the international response to Darfur illustrates three major challenges to R2P implementation. These are: political limitations inherent in the R2P framework; moral dilemmas emerging from military action; and tactical challenges, as exemplified by the struggles faced by the AU and the UN in Darfur. We conclude that the international failure to offer meaningful protection in Darfur highlights the need for continued caution and critical analysis of the ways in which R2P is conceptualized and implemented.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Keywords: | responsibility to protect; Darfur; protection of civilians; United Nations; African Union |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Politics & International Studies (POLIS) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 22 Aug 2019 12:48 |
Last Modified: | 22 Aug 2019 12:48 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/0967010609336198 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:122489 |