CHALLENGES TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELPOMENT IN AFRICA: HUMANITARIAN LAW DIMENSION

Abstract

International Humanitarian Law and the concept of sustainable development coincide in their concern for the promotion of environmental protection. Under International Humanitarian Law, the requirement to protect the natural environment flows from the general protection accorded persons not taking active part in armed conflict. Africa has also keyed into this global concern through the ratification of a number of international agreements and Action Plans like the 2030 and 2063 Agenda. While International Humanitarian Law prohibits certain means and methods of warfare that are intended or may be expected to cause severe damage to the natural environment; the concept of sustainable development requires the maintenance of environmental balance that will serve the needs of both the present and future generations. Albeit, Africa has continued to grabble with incessant armed conflicts witnessing the employment of means and methods of warfare causing severe damage to the natural environment. The study examined, through the lens of International Humanitarian Law, the challenges to sustainable development in Africa. The study gave an insight into some civil wars raging in Africa; and their causes. The study revealed that armed conflicts impact negatively on Africa’s sustainable development performance. It also identified bad governance and poverty, among other things as the root causes of armed conflicts in Africa. To address these challenges, the study recommended among other things, peacetime measures, such as good governance, respect for International Humanitarian Law and human capacity building as the solution