THE APPLICABILITY OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW IN CONTEMPORARY ARMED CONFLICTS: A CASE STUDY OF BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY

Abstract

The need for effective application of International Humanitarian Law to contemporary armed conflict is a subject that garnered a lot of importance in today�s modern society. Due to the casualties caused by armed conflicts, the international community formulated various set of rules put in place to regulate the activities of parties to conflicts. This work examines the various laws put in place such as the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and The Additional Protocols of 1977 which help to regulate armed conflicts and the effects they have on the society and the environment. It also discusses the effectiveness and applicability of the laws and the challenges affecting its application. In understanding the nature of conflicts, this research also put emphasis on the different types of conflicts and differentiated the laws that apply to them individually. The research carried out within this work evidenced that there are sufficient laws to guide armed conflicts and individual humanity. It also showed that there are various challenges affecting the application of these laws such as non compliance of state actors and insufficient dissemination of IHL materials to make the public aware of their rights. The work concludes by recommending effective application of the laws hindering on compliance by all actors to a conflict.

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urn:uuid:781deab4-d00a-4b97-bcb2-8ecc6c5a721b