Preliminary notes - editorial

• Date: 22 August 2019
• Published date: 22 August 2019

Editorial

In 2001 Mr Patrick Zahnd, sometime Head of Delegation for the

International Committee of the Red Cross (‘ICRC’) in Pretoria, South

Africa, initiated the creation of a network of academics from universities

in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands interested in teaching and

research in International Humanitarian Law (‘IHL’). Having successfully

assisted in launching that network, Mr Zahnd departed for Budapest.

However, his successor in Pretoria, Madame Franc¸ oise Krill, has, over

the past three years, continued what he had started – she has been

constant and enthusiastic in the support and encouragement that she

has lent the fledgling IHL network of academics. These efforts, amongst

those of others, have finally born fruit in the launch of this publication –

the African Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law (‘AYIHL’).

Although made possible as a result of the encouragement and, initial,

financial support of the ICRC, the AYIHL is not an ICRC publication. The

views and opinions of the authors of the pieces selected for publication

need not necessarily reflect positions supported by the ICRC. Rather, the

principal objective of the publication is an academic one – that is to

stimulate debate and discussion. Thus, apart from having to satisfy an

appropriate academic standard – which standard will be gauged through a

process of rigorous peer review – the critical criterion to which recourse

will be made by the editorial board when selecting articles and case notes

for publication is the extent to which the relevant piece advances the

academic objective.

Indeed, in the years ahead, it is hoped that the AYIHL will prove to be an

attractive and positive forum for publications on all aspects of IHL of

relevance to Africa and African academics. In this sense, the AYIHL

aims to be a truly African publication – whether in terms of the

membership of its editorial board, the country of origin of its

contributors, the slant or angle of the content of the articles and case

notes that it publishes; or the relevance of the issues that it raises to

contemporary Africa. Sadly, Africa is the locus of many conflicts; as a

consequence, the African experience of IHL and its influence is both rich

and unique. It is hoped that something of that flavour will be reflected in

this publication.

If, in the process of advancing knowledge and understanding of IHL, the

plight of those who suffer in Africa’s conflicts is alleviated, then the

publication will indeed have proved worthwhile.

Editorial Board

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