Conclusion

This book examined the practice of state use of indirect force and the extent to which this behaviour is prohibited under international law. The outline of the book followed its central thesis, which argues that the current structure of international law and mainstream jurisprudence on the meaning and scope of the prohibition of the use of indirect force favour powerful states, while marginalising weaker and/or developing states. It was argued that the lack of clarity and coherence in mainstream legal scholarship on this topic is rooted in the inherent weakness of existing positivist legal frameworks to adequately accommodate the tensions between state sovereignty and state power.