The History and Practice of Humanitarian Intervention and Aid in Africa

Ambitious humanitarian military, economic and social interventions, undertaken by Western actors acting in defence of liberal values, have today become indelible features of Africa's engagement with the world. Yet the continent's long, complex historical relationship with Western humanitarian intervention, dating back to the origins of imperial engagement with the continent, is often overlooked in the study of contemporary African security and development issues. This volume responds to a need for greater historical grounding in the study of humanitarian intervention, by bringing together a wide and interdisciplinary range of contributors who explore the history, theory, and practice of humanitarian intervention in Africa. In doing so, it traces continuities in the discourse and practice of the concept as it evolved from the colonial past to the present, and argues that the West's colonial relationship with Africa is crucial for better understanding humanitarian intervention and how the legacies of colonialism continue to impact emerging international policy.