Legality of humanitarian intervention vis a vis protection of human rights and genocide

The principle of humanitarian intervention is the most important principle in Internationlal law, ironically not because of its general acceptance but its controversial nature. Intervention in the domestic affairs of sovereign states by other sovereign state(s) is one of the most controversial issues in international law today. The issue is contentious because the concept of human rights is on the ascendancy whilst international law had from time immemorial held the concept of sovereignty and its key feature, the principle of non-interference in high esteem. The doctrine of unilateral humanitarian intervention allows state(s) to intervene in the domestic affairs of sovereign states in the event of massive human rights violations, usually in the form of mass murders and genocide. The doctrine of humanitarian intervention, therefore, ex facie violates one of the core principles of international law, namely, "non-interference" and as such its legality is vigorously contested. This research examines the legality of the doctrine of unilateral humanitarian intervention and in so doing the Rwandan Genocide will be revisited in an attempt to analyse what went wrong and thereafter suggest recommendations for future interventions. Keywords: Use of force, humanitarian Intervention, Human Rights, Responsibility to Protect, State Sovereignity, Rwandan Genocide