Humanitarian Intervention and the AU-ECOWAS Intervention Treaties Under International Law: Towards a Theory of Regional Responsibility to Protect

352 Pages·2016·4.261 MB·English

by  John-Mark Iyi (auth.)

John-Mark Iyi
Humanitarian
Intervention and
the AU-ECOWAS
Intervention Treaties
Under International
Law
Towards a Theory of Regional
Responsibility to Protect
Humanitarian Intervention and the AU-ECOWAS
Intervention Treaties Under International Law
ThiSisaFMBlankPage
John-Mark Iyi
Humanitarian Intervention
and the AU-ECOWAS
Intervention Treaties Under
International Law
Towards a Theory of Regional Responsibility
to Protect
John-MarkIyi
FacultyofLaw
UniversityofJohannesburg
Johannesburg,SouthAfrica
ISBN978-3-319-23623-0 ISBN978-3-319-23624-7 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-23624-7
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2015960277
SpringerChamHeidelbergNewYorkDordrechtLondon
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To Ben
A friend and a brother
ThiSisaFMBlankPage
Preface
The ECOWAS and AU peace and security legal frameworks have attracted little
study amongst international law scholars despite its far-reaching normative inno-
vations and implications for Africa, the UN Charter-based law of humanitarian
intervention and international law in general. With the exception of a couple of
writers,thefewstudiesthatexisthavedismissedsuchprovisionsasarticle4(h)of
the AU Constitutive Act and article 10 and 25 of the ECOWAS Mechanism for
ConflictPrevention,Management,ResolutionPeacekeepingandSecurityProtocol
(MCPMRPS)asillegaltreatiesbecauseoftheirincompatibilitywitharticles2(4),
24(1),53(1)and103oftheCharter.Noneofthesestudiesexaminedthetheoretical
basisofthesetreatiesandatatimetheworldisinsearchofalegalframeworkfor
theoperationalisationoftheResponsibilitytoProtect(R2P),ithasbecomeimper-
ativetoundertakeaninterrogationofthetheoreticalunderpinningsofthesetreaties.
My study tested the legal validity of the AU–ECOWAS intervention instruments
usingtwotheoreticalframeworks:transformationsofworldconstitutiveprocessof
authoritative decision and the illegal international legal reform theories. It also
examined the validity of the treaties under conventional and customary inter-
nationallaw.Thebookadvancedthreemainarguments:
Firstly, following Reisman’s theory, I argue that there are four constitutive
processes in the international legal order. The UN was designed to establish a
systemwitheffectivehierarchicalinstitutionsofdecisionmakingwhereunilateral
actswouldbeunnecessaryandillegal.TheUNSecurityCouncilfailedinitsdutyas
the authoritative decision-maker saddled with the responsibility of maintaining
international peace and security and protecting human rights. On this basis, the
unilateral intervention treaties established by AU–ECOWAS are valid. Secondly,
followingBuchanan’stheory,IarguethatinalegalsystemsuchastheUNCharter-
basedsystemthatpoorlyapproximatesjusticeandwheretherearefewprospectsfor
legalreform,aunilateralactofillegalinternationallegalreformaimedatbringing
about moral improvement in the law is permissible. The AU-ECOWAS treaties
vii
viii Preface
constituteillegalinternationallegalreformbecausetheyseektoimprovethelawof
humanitarian intervention to prevent future mass atrocities. Thirdly, I argue that
undertreatylaw,thereareseveralgroundsforholdingtheAU–ECOWAStreaties
valid, basically because they constitute treaty-based interventions for which UN
Security Council authorisation is not required. I conclude that the fundamental
assumptions on which the Charter was based have been radically altered, and
African statescanpleadchangeofcircumstancestoobviatetheapplication ofthe
fullweightoftheCharterframework.Basedontheaboveconclusions,Iproposethe
AU–ECOWAStreatyregimesforatheoryofregionalresponsibilitytoprotectasa
theoreticalframeworkfortheoperationalisationofR2PinAfrica.
Johannesburg,SouthAfrica John-MarkIyi
30June2015
Acknowledgements
IamgratefultoGod forHismerciesandprotectionduringthe preparationofthis
work.Inthecourseofwritingthisbook,Ireceivedinvaluablesupportfromseveral
personsandinstitutions,andIwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetoallofyoueven
thoughIamunabletomentioneveryonebyname.Inyourdifferentways,youmade
thisbookpossible.
First, my deep appreciation goes to Professor Garth Abraham, a guide and
“honorary compatriot” who provided an excellent supervision for my doctoral
thesisandalsogavemeopportunitiesthatgreatlyenhancedmyoverallintellectual
development.Icouldnothavewishedforabettersupervisor.Iwouldliketothank
Professor Hennie Strydom, the incumbent holder of the South African Research
ChairinInternationalLaw(SARCIL),forhissupportandhelpfulcommentsduring
therevisionofthismanuscriptforpublication.Since2010whenIcommencedwork
onthisproject,Ihavemetseveralpeoplewhosecommentsgavemeusefulinsights
andsharpenedmyownthoughtsonsomeofthelegalissuesengagedinthiswork.I
would therefore like to thank Professors Jeremy Levitt, Ademola Abass, Dan
Kuwali, Erika de Wet and Metz Thaddeus. I would also like to thank Professors
Ian Currie, Jonathan Klaaren, Pamela Adanda and Vinodh Jaichand for never
failingtoseizeeveryopportunitytowhisperkindwordsofadviceandencourage-
ment. I thank my former colleagues at the Wits University Programme in Law
Justice and Development in Africa: Professors Vincent Nmehielle, Mtende
Mhango, Lilian Chenwi, Zozo Dyani-Mhango and Mr Sanele Sibanda. I owe a
debt of gratitude to Julie Dunsford of the Mandela Institute, University of the
Witwatersrand. Julie was always willing to listen and help in any way she could.
I thank Aneesia Kara, Ms Thembani Khanyi, Slindo Shamase, Malefu Mumba,
ClaireAlison,EvelinaDlamini,JordanSeke,UrsulaDangor,MarionFynn,Hafiza
Wadee, Moshina Cassim and Sipiwe for their moral support. It was rewarding
workingwithyouall.
I would like to thank Professors Patrick O’Brien and George Mpedi, the Exec-
utive Dean and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Johannesburg,
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