The Pretoria Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross together with the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa and the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria will be presenting the eighteenth All Africa Course on International Humanitarian Law between 25 January and 05 February 2021. The online course is a comprehensive introduction to the law of armed conflict and contemporary issues in International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
With legal support from the Sterling Centre for Law & Development, the families of West African migrants assisted by ANEKED, filed complaints on November 18 against the governments of Ghana and The Gambia before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice for infringing several international human rights, including the right to judicial remedies.
As in any branch of international law, examining the meaning of a law of armed conflict (LOAC) term, and its incorporation in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, should look first to the treaties—and “attack” is no different. Indeed, as is well known, the notion of “attacks” is explicitly defined in Article 49 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I as “acts of violence against the adversary, whether in offence or in defence.” A seemingly broad definition, it is certainly clear and concise. One might thus be tempted to end an inquiry of the law there.
The Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA) is a research institute located in the Faculty of Law of the University of Pretoria. The ICLA was established at the beginning of 2011 and is located in a beautifully renovated house with wooden floors next to the Law Building. The Institute houses an extensive collection of antique furniture and art and also serves as the Christo Coetzee museum.
ICLA houses staff members from various departments in the Faculty of Law, as well as visitors and post-graduate students. A total of 43 doctoral students are currently registered with ICLA staff members and 30 have completed their doctoral studies. The main focus of ICLA is on international and domestic law in Africa, but it also has a broader focus on international law beyond the borders of the continent.