Online Reporter
Columbus Mabika-Herald Reporter
THE Law of Armed Conflict remains critical and cannot afford to be ignored in today’s complex security environment, which has been plagued by the rise of technological developments and a surge in natural, climate and human-induced disasters, Zimbabwe National Army Chief of Staff General Staff, Major General Josphat Kudumba, has said.
He made the remarks yesterday during the official opening of a five-day Law of Armed Conflict Conference at the Zimbabwe Staff College in Harare, which has brought together regional forces and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The law is a set of international regulations that tell militaries what they can and cannot do during war, with the goal of limiting suffering and protecting people who are not fighting. It is derived from the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
Major General Kudumba said the conference is critical for regional commitment to the effective application of international humanitarian law, human rights, and the rules governing the conduct of military operations.
“The principles of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, are not theoretical concepts; they are an operational requirement,” he said.
“In today’s complex security environment, whether peacetime, peace support operations, disaster response or other military engagements, discipline and adherence to the law is fundamental to mission success.”
ICRC Head of Regional Delegation Southern Africa, Mr Jean Nicolas Paquet Rouleau, said his organisation will continue to partner with regional armies on expertise and commitment to the protection of human dignity in armed conflict.
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