Senegal: Spreading knowledge of humanitarian lawin southern regions
22-08-2002 News Release 02/34
In cooperation with local branches of the Senegalese Red Cross Society, the ICRC has completed a programme to raise awareness of humanitarian law and humanitarian endeavour in southern regions of Senegal affected by the Casamance conflict.
Workshops for political and religious leaders, administrative authorities, senior members of the legal profession, journalists, and representatives of women's and youth organizations took place at the end of July in Zinguinchor and in mid-August in Kolda, as did training sessions for military personnel.
Nearly 80 people took part in the workshops, which concluded with a call for greater involvement of local groups in promoting international humanitarian law and the principles and ideals of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
In the training sessions attended by 150 military officers and men, the main instruments of international humanitarian law (the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977) were explained as were the basic rules that soldiers must obey in an armed conflict (spare civilians and enemy soldiers who have been wounded or taken prisoner). A liaison officer specially detached by the army Chief of Staff gave a presentation on command responsibility.
A special session organized for security forces taking part in operations in Casamance was attended by 70 members of national police units based in Ziguinchor.
The many questions asked about the ICRC's mandate, its working methods, its relationship with United Nations agencies, the enforcement of international humanitarian law, the obligations of combatants, and officers'responsibility in applying the rules demonstrated the interest of the participants in these meetings.