Creative Coomons:Masoud Akbari>
Afghanistan has been affected by conflicts for decades. Supported by the United States, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) had fought against the Taliban and the Khorasan province branch of the Islamic State group (IS-KP). In August 2021, following the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban have rapidly taken control of most of the country, Kabul included.
The entry of our Rule of Law in Armed Conflict (RULAC) online portal on these NIACs provides a detailed analysis of these conflicts, including information about parties, classification and applicable international law. It has been updated to include recent developments, including the current peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Since 6 August 2021, the Taliban have advanced rapidly: Afghan provinces fall one by one, until the armed group reached Kabul on 16 August. President Ashraf Ghani immediately fled the country and a few hours later the Taliban entered the Presidential palace. On 17 August, Taliban spokesperson held the first press conference, where he affirmed that they ‘don’t want any internal or external enemies’ and that they ‘wished for peaceful relations with other countries.’
It is worth recalling that this does not imply that international humanitarian law (IHL) ceases to be applicable. As specified by the ICRC ‘a lasting cessation of armed confrontations without real risk of resumption will undoubtedly constitute the end of a non-international armed conflict as it would equate to a peaceful settlement of the conflict, even without the conclusion or unilateral pronouncement of a formal act such as a ceasefire, armistice or peace agreement.’ It is therefore too premature to conclude that the NIAC is over, explains Dr Chiara Redaelli, Research Fellow at the Geneva Academy.
RubyGoes
Daniela Moskowitz
ICRC
Ten alumni – six from our LLM in IHL and Human Rights and two from our MAS in Transitional Justice – published an article in the new edition of the International Review of the Red Cross that features emerging voices in the field of humanitarian law, policy and action.
Relief and Reconciliation for Syria
Sarah Surget and Marie Boulahrouz are organizing an art sale and raffle on Saturday 11 December 2021 at the Maison de la Paix to support the NGO Relief and Reconciliation for Syria.
Brill
This event marks the launch of our LLM alumna Jelena Plamenac’s award-winning book ‘Unravelling Unlawful Confinement in Contemporary Armed Conflicts’ published by Brill.
Alexander Jawfox, Unsplash
This IHL Talk aims at clarifying the relevant frameworks of responsibility for the crimes committed by the Wagner troops.
ICRC
This short course, which can be followed in Geneva or online, provides an overview of the evolution of the rules governing the use of force in international law, focusing on military intervention on humanitarian grounds and the creation of the United Nations collective security system. It then addresses the concept of the responsibility to protect.
orihaus
This project aims at staying abreast of the various military technology trends; promoting legal and policy debate on new military technologies; and furthering the understanding of the convergent effects of different technological trends shaping the digital battlefield of the future.
Shutterstock
This project will explore humanitarian consequences and protection needs caused by the digitalization of armed conflicts and the extent to which these needs are addressed by international law, especially international humanitarian law.
Geneva Academy