A Legal Comparison of Regional Powers’ Involvements in African Conflicts: Case Studies of Libya and South Africa

The Republic of Chad, located in central Africa, is under attack by a series of military coups; despite its prosperity, the country has emerged from protracted conflicts since its independence. The violence was perpetrated and directed by rebel groups of various ethnicities. As the regional leader, Libya decided in 1991 to intervene in internal Chadian affairs by mediating between the regime and rebel groups on political and economic matters, despite being under international sanctions. The first “Coup d’État†since Ivory Coast’s independence occurred in December 1999, and more recent coups have also been successful; the violence in Ivory Coast appears to be a conflict that has targeted both the military and civilians. The last military coup in 2002 failed and turned into a small war within the country, attracting South Africa’s involvement in the bloodied country by violence, fear, and escalating instability, which worsened the human rights situation. The Ivory Coast’s struggle was more intensely influenced by economic factors, while the conflict in Chad was the political cause. Legally, the international community arrangement in Ivory Coast obligated South Africa, as a regional leader, to secure peace and stability. In contrast, Libya illegally meddles in the internal affairs of Chad with its influential “brother leader,†who has a new position as a regional peacemaker and is dominant in the Sub-Saharan region.