Self-Defence, Intervention by Invitaion, or Proxy War? The Legality of the 2006 Ethiopian Invasion of Somalia

African Journal of International and Comparative Law, Volume 22:2 (2014) 208-233

26 Pages Posted: 21 Mar 2013 Last revised: 28 Apr 2016

See all articles by Ahmed Ali M. Khayre

Ahmed Ali M. Khayre

School of Law, Birkbeck, University of London

Date Written: October 11, 2012

Abstract

In late 2006, heavily armed Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia with tacit support of the United States. Subsequently, Ethiopia used two legal justifications for its military intervention, namely, an inherent right of self-defense and an invitation from the transitional government of Somalia. If nothing else, it appears Ethiopia and the United States wanted to seek a casus belli for military intervention against Union of Islamic Courts. This article examines whether the Ethiopian intervention can be justified as an exception to the general prohibition of the use of force embodied in the United Nations Charter.

Keywords: International Law, Prohibition of use of force in international law, Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, transitional federal government of Somalia, Islamic Courts Union

Suggested Citation

Khayre, Ahmed Ali M., Self-Defence, Intervention by Invitaion, or Proxy War? The Legality of the 2006 Ethiopian Invasion of Somalia (October 11, 2012). African Journal of International and Comparative Law, Volume 22:2 (2014) 208-233, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2236622 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2236622

Ahmed Ali M. Khayre (Contact Author)

School of Law, Birkbeck, University of London ( email )

London
United Kingdom

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