Paper proposal for the Open Section, ECPR Conference 2011 “R2P for contested states?” by Deon Geldenhuys, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Contested states experience a deficit of collective de jure recognition because of the internationally disputed nature of their purported statehood. There have been 26 contested states since World War I; 10 entities currently find themselves in this league, including Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Kosovo, Somaliland, Western Sahara and Northern Cyprus. The birth of contested states is often accompanied by armed conflict between them and their original states. This is not surprising considering that unilateral secession is the single most common origin of contested states. The secessionists typically justify their break-away bid on the grounds of persecution by the rulers of the original states. The mere existence of contested states is also a source of conflict between them and established (or confirmed) states. The latter may not only reject the aspirant states’ claims to sovereign independence, but actively support their reabsorption (even by forcible means) into their original states. In several cases contested statehood ended on the battlefield. Given the evidence of gross human rights abuse as a motivation for secession (and the birth of several contested states) as well as the record of violent conflict associated with the existence and demise of contested states, this paper will explore the possible application of the responsibility to protect (R2P) principle to these entities. The focus will be on contested states in Africa.
