Kidnapping of aid workers in Niger ... Against international humanitarian law

Terrorists kidnapped ten aid workers as they were distributing food to residents of a village in southwestern Niger #, last Wednesday. It was the first kidnapping of # aid workers in the Tillaberi area. The kidnappers work for a non-governmental organization partnering with the United Nations_# World Food Program.

The Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights condemns this incident and considers it a "war crime" under international humanitarian law. The 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols provide general protection for relief workers including medical personnel, civil defense personnel, and humanitarian aid workers. Maat Foundation reiterates it:

A- With regard to “medical personnel” in each of the #_internal and international armed conflicts, international humanitarian law has enabled their protection by helping to define their identities, and they are authorized to carry a specific protection slogan, with the aim of facilitating this protection, in accordance with the First Additional Protocol in Articles 8 and 15, as well as Additional Protocol II in its Article 9.

B - While the First Additional Protocol, in its Article 62, affirmed the necessity to respect and protect “civil defense personnel” who are assigned humanitarian missions aimed at protecting the civilian population from any potential risks and helping them recover from the direct effects of hostilities or disasters.

C - While customary international humanitarian law focused in its 31 and 32 rules on the need to respect and protect humanitarian relief personnel, and the need to respect and protect objects used for humanitarian relief operations, in both international and non-international armed conflicts.

# Maat_africa365Day

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