1

For many human rights activists the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1973 in favour of a no-fly zone in Libya was an indication that The Responsibility to Protect as a project was coming closer to being solidified as an ‘actionable norm’. From such a point of view, the swift and decisive action by the UN and NATO demonstrated the international community’s prioritisation of the protection of civilians and an honouring of the international community’s commitment to the principles agreed to in 2005 with regard to The Responsibility to Protect. However, the South African government soon after the initial stage of implementing Resolution 1973 in March 2011 made an appeal to international role-players to respect the unity and territorial integrity of Libya as well as its rejection of any foreign military intervention in Libya. Likewise, the African Union stated that the organisation also strongly opposed any foreign military intervention in Libya and that the country’s sovereignty should be respected by the international community and especially Western countries. This paper aims at critically examining and exploring the official South African stand and the AU’s continental role shortly after the first aerial attacks were launched on targets in Libya until the killing of Gaddafi by Libyan rebels in October 2011