Respect Of International Humanitarian Law

About the Book

For more than a decade now, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) had been engaged in operations to contain the activities of Boko Haram particularly in the North-eastern part of the country. The way these operations were conducted drew criticism of violations of some provisions of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) from various quarters. International organisations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International wrote several reports detailing some of these violations. While it might be true that violations did in fact occur, it is equally true that in some instances the AFN had justifications for their actions in the theatre of operation and if they understood the nuances of the law, they could have better explained their actions.

This book “Respect of IHL: Challenges Faced by the AFN in the Fight Against Boko Haram Insurgents” gives a good explanation of IHL and its application across various spectrums of military operations. It also critically examines why the AFN faced challenges in respecting the rules (where violations occurred). The book goes further to make some recommendations that if applied will go a long way in mitigating future violations.

About the Author

Livinus Jatto enlisted into the Nigerian Army (NA) in 1988 as a member of 40th Regular Course. He served as an infantry paratrooper from 1993—2005 when he voluntarily retired from the military after his Senior Staff Course. Jatto holds a B.Sc. in Political Science & Defence Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna, a Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, an MSc in International Relations from the University of Abuja, and a Doctorate in Defence & Strategic Studies from the NDA Post Graduate School.

Jatto serves as a resource person on International Humanitarian Law to most military institutions in Nigeria including the National Defence College, Army, Navy and Airforce War Colleges, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Nigerian Defence Academy, Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Nigerian Navy Ship QUORRA among others. He contributed to the development of the SOPs, ROEs and training exercise papers during the evolution of the ECOWAS Standby Force.

Dr. Livinus Jatto is the author of “International Humanitarian Law and Military Operations: A Practical Guide for Tactical Commanders,” and, “The Camp,” a literary work about Nigeria. During his leisure, Jatto loves watching people, playing lawn tennis, and keeping fit. He is happily married to Jummai with whom he has two lovely children, Laura and Jayden-Jesse.