The Contours of New Humanitarianism: War and Peacebuilding in Sierra Leone

Civil wars in Africa and other parts of the world have raised considerable debate about international responses to security and humanitarian crises. Questions have been raised about the reasons and circumstances under which the international community intervenes in war-torn countries and the connections between security and development. This paper examines the international response to the civil war in Sierra Leone. It argues that international intervention evolved from orthodox humanitarian intervention to new humanitarianism. By analyzing the roles of regional organizations and the United Nations in this war, it demonstrates the political conditions that led to new humanitarianism and the extent of African agency in applying new humanitarianism. It shows that, though new humanitarianism is not a panacea, it is a viable approach for ameliorating the human security and human development challenges associated with new wars.