Justifying Interventions in Africa : (De)Stabilizing Sovereignty in Liberia, Burundi and the Congo

This new paperback edition of Justifying Interventions in Africa includes a new preface written by Professor Annika Björkdahl from Lund University. Analysing the UN interventions in Liberia, Burundi and the Congo, Wilén poses the question of how one can stabilize a state through external intervention without destabilizing sovereignty. She critically examines the justifications for international and regional interventions through a social constructivist framework. Wilén answers the paradoxical question of how to stabilize a state through external intervention without destabilizing sovereignty. She examines the justifications for international and regional interventions in the cases of Liberia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Discourse analysis of official documents and over fifty interviews of external actors in the field provide a practical perspective. Furthermore, the social constructivist framework provides the theoretical background. Rather than reinforcing sovereignty, non-aggressive interventions neutralize target states in the sense that they become dependent on external capacity to maintain their stability. The conclusion is that interventions remain both controversial and paradoxical and the stated aim of reinforcing the state's sovereignty is questionable at best Front Matter....Pages i-xi The Study of Sovereignty, Intervention and Peace Operations in International Relations....Pages 1-9 Analysing a Moving Target: The Complex Concept of Sovereignty....Pages 10-38 Intervention, Justifications and Interpretations: The Case of ECOWAS in Liberia....Pages 39-62 Sanctions, Justifications and Reactions: The Case of the Regional Initiative in Burundi....Pages 63-91 Intervention, Justifications and Interpretations: The Case of the SADC in the Congo....Pages 92-115 Capacity-Building and Local Ownership: Indicators of Sovereignty?....Pages 116-144 (De)Stabilization: So What? An Analysis of the Political Consequences of the Interventions on a Regional and International Level....Pages 145-178 Concluding Remarks....Pages 179-189 Back Matter....Pages 190-225 "This new paperback edition of Justifying Interventions in Africa includes a new preface written by Professor Annika Björkdahl from Lund University. Analysing the UN interventions in Liberia, Burundi and the Congo, Wilén poses the question of how one can stabilize a state through external intervention without destabilizing sovereignty. She critically examines the justifications for international and regional interventions through a social constructivist framework." -- Provided by publisher This new paperback edition of Justifying Interventions in Africa includes a new preface written by Professor Annika Bjoerkdahl from Lund University. Analysing the UN interventions in Liberia, Burundi and the Congo, Wilen poses the question of how one can stabilize a state through external intervention without destabilizing sovereignty. Nina Wiľn answers the paradoxical question of how to stabilize a state through external intervention without destabilizing sovereignty. She examines the justifications for international and regional interventions in the cases of Liberia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo