Written by:
Federico Renda
Supervised by: Elise Alsteens and Kevin Whitehead
Edited by: Jonas Heins
Abstract:
For the past two years, Sudan has been afflicted by a brutal civil war between rival military groups controlling the country. War crimes are being committed en masse by both sides, with countless civilian casualties and massive internal displacement occurring. Despite the efforts of the International Community through condemnation statements and diplomatic initiatives, the enforcement of international humanitarian law (IHL) has proven largely ineffective in ensuring the protection of Sudanese civilians. Using the Sudanese conflict as a case study, this paper examines the progressing events through the lens of international humanitarian law, assessing the extent to which its mechanisms have succeeded or failed in practice. It further explores the evolving role of IHL in contemporary armed conflicts, reflecting on what can realistically be expected from this body of law today in safeguarding civilian populations in modern conflicts.
