Student Name:

Benjamin Nyandoro

Student ID Number:

Course and Code:

International Relations (PSM 541)

Lecturer:

Mr Fungayi

Semester:

Semester One (April July 2011)

Program:

Masters in Public Sector Management

Institution:

Africa University

Assignment 1:- Examine the Libyan Crisis and discuss the power capabilities that participants can use in this episode.

PSM 541-Assignment 1-Benjamin Nyandoro

1. Introduction and Background to the Libyan Crisis

A combination of the recent successful mass protests in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt, and a more than four (4) decade tyrannical governance style by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, make no surprise to therevolt experienced in Libya, demanding the Colonel to step down. Protests in Tunisia and Egypt led to the fleeing of then Tunis President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14, 2011 after a 24year rule and stepping down of then President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011 after a 30 year rule.

Coupled to the increasingly sour relations with the United States of America ensuing from conflicts such as in Iraq, Chad, and Uganda, where Gaddafi would support forces opposing America, the lethal methods to quell the growing numbers of protestors used by Gaddafi sparked international row. On February 24, 2011, in his first official response to the violence, US President Barack Obama said violence must stop and invited the international community to assist in stopping the violation of human right by the Libyan Government. (Politics Daily, 2011, President Obama to Libya's Moammar Gadhafi: The Violence Must Stop)

Libya is currently in a civil war between rebel groups that combined forces to make the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) and the Libyan Government, now labelled the Gaddafi forces. The NTChas recognition from the international community and is receiving military support to force Gaddafi to step down.The international community argue that Gaddafi lost moral legitimacy when he attacked his own people.

PSM 541-Assignment 1-Benjamin Nyandoro

2. Power, Power Capabilities and, Participants in the crisis

Emphasis shall not be put on definition of terms, but rather their application to Libyan crisis. Dahl (1970) defines Power as the ability to get another actor to do what it would not otherwise have done (or not to do what it would have done). There is a thin line between power and influence, Goldstein (2001) says power explains influence and influence measures power.The given definition of power, however fall short in explaining certain international events. Goldstein therefore argues that international events are better explained using measurable power characteristics of a state. These characteristics both tangible and intangible such as, Military forces, and broadly the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the intangible such aslegitimacy, and diplomatic skill, broadly the power of ideas, among others are called Power Capabilities.

With respect to Libya, the power capabilities used in the current episode are but not limited to;Military forces, size of the state, Moral legitimacy, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Sanction both positive and negative, these include Arms embargo, assets freeze, economic and trade restrictions, and Strategic Alliances.

Key Participants to the Libyan crisis include; United Nations Security Council, European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Group of Eight (G8), Arab League, African Union, Libyan Government, Libyan National Transitional Council, United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and South Africa.

PSM 541-Assignment 1-Benjamin Nyandoro

3. Application of Power Capabilitiesto the Libyan Crisis

The episode since February 15, 2011, witnesses an incremental application of capabilities by participants to the Libyan crisis.US President Obama, in his speech on Libya, gives an account to fellow Americans on effortsmade by America and other participants such as NATO, United Kingdom, and France, among others, to resolve the Libyan crisis and the need to, using cheaper and safer capabilities such as its moral legitimacy and imposing of sanctions including arms embargo and asset freeze. President Obama argues why America and other participants had to further use more costly capabilities such as military force, citing all reasonable steps taken, such as the authorisation of a no-fly zone on Libya by the UN Security Council from Resolution 1973.(White House, 2011, Obamas speech on Libya: A responsibility to Act)

France is a key participant given its stepped up military force aggression evidenced by leading the first attack on Gaddafi regime to protect Libyan civilians from further attack and enforce the no-fly zone only two days after authorisation. An analysis by Professor Lian and Qingguo from Peking University says the aggression by France, President Nicolas Sarkozy in particular, is a domestic campaign ahead of presidential elections in France 2012.Further, France seeks to improve its international image after its reluctant support to the Tunisia and Egypt revolts. (Peking University, 2011, Great power politics in Libya: an analysis)

The European Union, at an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on March 11, 2011, uses its moral legitimacy to condemn the use of violence against civilians. The EU on February 28, 2011 imposed an arms embargo and other sanctions such as

PSM 541-Assignment 1-Benjamin Nyandoro

visa ban and asset freeze on individuals including Muammar Gaddafi.(European Union, 2011, Developments in Libya: an overview of EUs response).

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) took command of the enforcement of the arms embargo and no-fly zone after UN Security Council authorisation. NATO an alliance of 28 countries including United State, United Kingdom, and France, is a strong military force. NATO further assumed the role of protecting Libyan civilians which means military attack on Gaddafi forces to incapacitate the regime from attacking its civilians.(White House, 2011, Obamas speech on Libya: A responsibility to Act).

With increasing criticism from the African Union and Gaddafi regime that air bombing by NATO was killing civilians therefore a negation of the primary claimed objective of protecting Libyan civilians, NATO member states among them the United Kingdom introduced high precision aircrafts such as UK Apache and RAF Typhoon to hit specific targets. (The Telegraph, 2011, Libya: Coalition forces prepare two-pronged blitz to finish off Gaddafi).

The African Union Peace and Security Council meeting of May 25, 2011, slammed NATO bombing and called for the implementation of the AU roadmap that advocates for ceasefire and dialogue facilitation. The roadmap did not detail whether Gaddafi should step down or not, which makes it unpopular with the National Transitional Councils demands of a solution without Gaddafi.The AU uses its moral legitimacy through its clear mandate to deal with Libyan crisis as Libya is an African state, therefore falls under its jurisdiction. The AU believes that NATO and other powerful

PSM 541-Assignment 1-Benjamin Nyandoro

participants are using their military force capability to ignore calls by AU for ceasefire. (The Herald, 2011, U Security organ slams Nato over rights abuses)

South Africa in as much as it is a member to the African Union is a key participant given the economic command it has in Africa and its trade relations with Libya. ThoughSouth Africa was among the three African countries that authorised a no-fly zone on Libya at the UN Security Council, President Jacob Zuma in a statement on May 29, 2011 slammed the NATO bombing of Libya and associates with the AU resolution for ceasefire. South Africa sought to regain its moral legitimacy as fellow African state and partner to Libya ahead of President Zumas May 30, 2011 visit to Libya. Aware of the potential diplomatic row with Gaddafi forces, President Zuma arrived in Tripoli with an entourage of heavily armed soldiers an expression of military force capability.(The Herald, 2011, Zuma in Tripoli)

The Libyan National Transitional Council with moral legitimacy from international recognition as an alternative government, has made several demands, major being the stepping down of Muammar Gaddafi as a requisite for ceasefire and negotiations. The legitimacy capability is mutual; NATO and member countries equally draw legitimacy from the call for assistance by the NTC. The NTC borrows military force capability from NATO support to attacks on Gaddafi regime. (Associated Press, 2011, Zumas Libya trip a chance to redeem African Union)

The United Kingdom a member of NATO has spiritedly argued for the deployment of advanced aircrafts to achieve a non-negotiable stepping down of Muammar Gaddafi. UK Prime Minster David Cameron allowed UK Apache attack helicopters to join the

PSM 541-Assignment 1-Benjamin Nyandoro

mission of ending Gaddafi rule. Prime Minster Cameron said negotiations could take place after Gaddafi has gone, a statement which is supported by the United Kingdom military force capacity.(The Telegraph, 2011, Libya: David Cameron stresses moral principle)

The Group of eight (G8) May 26, 2011 meeting in Deauville, resolved to step up efforts to effect regime change in Libya with Gaddafi stepping down. The G8 called for any means available to remove Gaddafi but ruled out possibility of ground forces deployment. Russia after the G8 joined the rest of the members to the stepped up efforts to force Gaddafi to step down. (The Telegraph, 2011, A new phase in Libya and a risky one)

Russia maintains its moral legitimacy to the Libyan Government from its opposing position to calls for the immediate step down of Gaddafi and subsequent enforcement of the calls using the military. After the G8, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged Gaddafi to give up power citing that Gaddafi had deprived himself of legitimacy with his actions. (The Herald, 2011, Russias Medvedev urges Gaddafi to give up power) President Medvedev further offers to mediate Gaddafi exit, taking advantage of Russias moral legitimacy to broker negotiations to the exit strategy. The United States through Russia tries to use the capability of positive sanctions to guarantee safety to Gaddafi if steps down. President Sarkozy appreciated that the French stepped up role in Libya would need Russias intervention if there ever be mediation given that Russia has not been at the fore in the military attack. (The Telegraph, 2011, G8 summit: Russia agrees to mediate Gaddafi exit strategy)

PSM 541-Assignment 1-Benjamin Nyandoro

References
Associated Press, (2011) Zumas Libya trip a chance to redeem African Union, [Online], Available: http://www.ongo.com/v/1045272/ 1/41962CACBAABBAE4/zumas-libya-trip-a-chance-to-redeem-african-union[May 30, 2011] Dahl, Robert A, (1970) Modern Political Analysis, 2nd Edition, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Developments in Libya: an overview of the EU's response, [Online], Available: Goldstein J S, Pevehouse J C, (2007) International Relations, 4 th Edition: Longman http://ec.europa.eu/news/external_relations/110310_1_en.htm http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/obama-to-libyas-gadhafi-the-violence-muststop/[May 29, 2011] Peking University, (2011) Great power politics in Libya: an analysis, [Online], Available: http://english.pku.edu.cn/News_Events/News/Focus/8110.htm[May 27, 2011] The Herald, (2011) AU security organ slams Nato over rights abuses, [Online], Available: http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11021:au -security-organ-slams-nato-over-rights-abuses&catid=37:topstories&Itemid=130[May 29, 2011] The Herald, (2011) Russia's Medvedev urges Gaddafi to give up power, [Online], Available: http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11059:ru ssias-medvedev-urges-gaddafi-to-give-up-power&catid=45:internationalnews&Itemid=137[May 30, 2011]

PSM 541-Assignment 1-Benjamin Nyandoro

The Herald, (2011) Zuma in Tripoli, [Online], Available: http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11289:zu ma-in-tripoli&catid=45:international-news&Itemid=137[May 30, 2011] The Telegraph, (2011) A 'new phase in Libya - and a risky one, [Online], Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8543023/A-new-phase-inLibya-and-a-risky-one.html[May 30, 2011] The Telegraph, (2011) G8 summit: Russia agrees to mediate Gaddafi exit, [Online], Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8542616/G8 -summit-Russia-agrees-to-mediate-Gaddafi-exit-strategy.html[May 30, 2011] The Telegraph, (2011) Libya: Coalition forces prepare two-pronged blitz to finish off Gaddafi, [Online], Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8543882/Lib ya-Coalition-forces-prepare-two-pronged-blitz-to-finish-off-Gaddafi.html[May 30, 2011] The Telegraph, (2011) Libya: David Cameron stresses 'moral principle', [Online], Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8543096/Lib ya-David-Cameron-stresses-moral-principle.html[May 30, 2011] White House, (2011) President Obama speech on Libya, [Online], Available: http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/03/28/president-obama-sspeech-libya[May 27, 2011]