ABSTRACT
The basic international law principle prohibiting armed intervention by foreign states in internal conflicts is Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. It reads: All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. The prohibition against intervention in internal affairs is not limited to acts of armed force. Two major UN Declarations—each adopted by consensus—prohibit “all other forms of interference against the personality of the state or against its political, economic and cultural elements”. They expressly declare that no State “shall interfere in civil strife in another State.” UN involvement in internal conflicts has taken various forms. It has been most evident where UN peacekeeping forces have been sent to maintain order and security in the area of conflict.
