The Uganda
People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) is in the process of integrating the syllabi of
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) at different levels of military training.
International
Humanitarian Law also called the law of war comprises the rules which, in times
of armed conflict seek to protect people who are no longer taking part in the
hostilities and to restrict the methods and means of warfare employed.
“The UPDF
has established an IHL department that is still in Mbuya but we’re trying to
make it a centre which will be sitting in Makindye where the general court
martial is located,” Col Godfrey Goloba, the commandant, junior command and
staff college in Jinja said during a celebration of 150 years of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Patrick
Nyakaana, the commissioner Uganda Law Reform Commission said that the growing
incidence of terrorism and proliferation of armed conflicts in the resolution
of disputes has made IHL important.
He
nevertheless urged government to increase coordination with its stakeholders
like the Uganda National IHL Committee and conclude work on pending bills such
as the Geneva Conventions Amendment Act, Toxic Chemicals Control Bill and the
Anti-Personnel Mines Bill in order to achieve comprehensive and effectively
implemented IHL.
In IHL,
parties to a conflict must at all times distinguish between the civilian
population and combats, the wounded and sick must be collected and cared for by
the party to the conflict which has them in power and captured combatants and
civilians who find themselves under the adverse party must be protected against
all acts of violence or reprisal.
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