Enhancing cooperation for R2P in situations of internal displacement in Africa

Published on March 6, 2021

Edwin YINGI & Sikhanyiso MASUKU | genida

Africa has experienced civil wars, internal strife, ethnic clashes, genocides and other humanitarian emergencies which have generated millions of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Cognisant of the high incidence of human rights violations, exponential growth in the number of IDPs and a hike in their generalised vulnerability the protection of IDPs becomes paramount. Towards this end, the concept of the responsibility to protect (R2P) is one of the responses that has been mooted for protection of IDPs. The African Union through its Constitutive Act has committed itself to the protection of IDPs by pledging to intervene in circumstances of egregious violations of human rights. This article critically assesses how cooperation towards R2P can assist in protecting IDPs.

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