An Examination of the Legitimacy of French Military ‎Action in Mali in Light of [the rule on] Intervention by ‎Invitation

Intervention by invitation is a rule of customary international law, which is occasionally invoked by states despite it not being prescribed by the Charter of the United Nations or other legally-binding instruments of international law. France’s 2013 intervention in Mali was justified under this legal concept. Intervention by invitation is related to such principles of international law as the prohibition of intervention, the right to self-determination and, according to some, the prohibition on the use of force. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate this doctrine’s nature and its dimensions based on the crisis in Mali. This paper has an analytical-descriptive method, and is based on library resources. In order to evaluate French intervention in Mali, first the status and terms of the intervention-by-invitation rule in international law will be examined, and then it will be analyzed whether French intervention in Mali was legal. We will also examine the French government’s other justifications for the military action, i.e., self-defense and Security Council resolutions.