ABSTRACT
The end of the Cold War was greeted with relief throughout the world. It was assumed that the era of global tension and insecurity was over and that humanity had ushered in a new world order that would guarantee peace, security, and respect for the universal principles of human rights and democratic freedoms. African leaders, diplomats, scholars, and intellectuals have recognized the plight of their countries and their peoples and have demonstrated a responsiveness commensurate to the challenge. Protecting and assisting the masses of people affected by internecine internal conflicts has entailed reconciling the possibility of international intervention with traditional concepts of national sovereignty. Recasting sovereignty as responsibility was the fundamental norm that guided the work and dialogue with governments for twelve years as representative of the UN secretary-general on internally displaced persons (IDPs) from 1992 to 2004. The global war on terror is obviously a complication insofar as it creates a Cold War–type polarization between allies and enemies.
