An Analysis of Kenya’s Targetted Application of a Blend of International Law and Economic Diplomacy Towards Achievement of National Interests
Abstract
This study focuses on the quest for national interest via defense alliances; a case for
NATO in Libya. It examines the motivations behind the actions of western states within defense
alliances to invade Libya and what were the effects on Libya together with its immediate states.
The study is concluded with recommendations on more positively impactful operational
strategies to ensure that the defense alliances do not exceed their authorized mandate when
conducting humanitarian interventions. Furthermore, the study recommends the involvement of
the African Union to play a more prominent part in the management of clashes within its
member states considering in the case of Libya it held more legal basis than any other regional
organization to intervene. The study sets out two hypotheses. The first one was that defence
alliances like NATO influence humanitarian interventions to advance national interests. The
second hypothesis was that military action of NATO resulted in an end to a dictatorship. The
study which depended largely on primary and secondary data with the intermediate use of maps
and tables including thematic approach to present the information was situated within the realism
theory.
This study adds emphasis on the realism theory that national interests are always at the
forefront of all foreign affairs. Seeing that the foreign system is revolutionary, more powerful
states are capable of using defense alliances to pursue their own national interests. NATO’s main
objective after the passing of the UNSC Resolutions was to protect people’s lives within Libya
but only a few days after these resolutions were passed their main purposes shifted to a regime
change with the defense alliance having even funded rebel groups to ensure Gaddafi is
overthrown from government. This in result has raised concerns over the Responsibility to
protect doctrine whereby states fear the action from the international community that might
violate their states sovereignty without any consequence from the international law or UN
Security Council.
This study demonstrates analytically the ramifications of NATO’s invasion for African
continent, reviewing where the aftermath of the intervention placed the African Union as the
custodian of African security and peace. The credibility of AU has been questioned due to its
apparent lack of active involvement in the Libyan conflict, however, it is necessary to note that
the AU did look to achieve dispute settlement, but was met by the UNSCs and NATO’s brisk
action to pass and implement the resolutions 1970 and 1973. The AU adopted a roadmap based
on an all-inclusive political settlement- an instant ceasefire; unthwarted delivery of humanitarian
aid; foreign national protection; and dialog for a political settlement between Tripoli and
Benghazi. However, cooperation prospects were made slim by NATO’s understsnding of
Resolution 1973, which included the enforcement of a NFZ and the use of "all possible means
paving the way for Libya's aerial bombing and the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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