Military Intervention and Sovereignty: Intersubjective and Enduring Efforts of States

Abstract

G This paper examines the evolution of sovereignty in international relations. This paper argues that sovereignty, as a concept, has evolved intersubjectively over a long period and is not sacrosanct or concrete. Sovereignty has been subject to interpretation and is a dynamic product of enduring efforts by the states to structure relations among them in particular ways. In International Relations, the norm of non-intervention has been the law for peace in the international system. However, as the international system saw the emergence of new states which are not homogeneous in nature, state-making in these states has been marred by ethno-nationalistic movements and ethnic violence. This has led to increased humanitarian military interventions and elicited strong retaliation from countries in the Global South against infringements of these states' sovereignty. This paper explores the intersubjective evolution and interpretation of sovereignty over time, and is a product of states’ negotiation in international relations.