Asymmetric Warfare and Implications for selected Conflicts under International Humanitarian Law

Abstract

 Asymmetric warfare depicts a situation of irregular or irrational practice of an act of armed conflict hitherto known to mankind but has become perverted in the course of time and this perversion continues even till today at the expense of mankind. The many States in our modern time are struggling hard to see to it that asymmetric warfare is stopped or somehow regulated even within the global systems such as United Nations Organization and/or regional institutions such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), The African Union (AU), Organisation of American States (OAS), European Union (EU), The League of Arab States (Arab League), Asian South East Organization (ASEAN) and a host of others. Asymmetric warfare is an expression describing an act of armed conflict which has gone out of proportion of normal regulation. It has become a situation comparable to a monster. Thus a new armed conflict situation is created with its attendant consequences on modem States such as Iraq, Libya,Yemen, Israel-Palestinian conflict. The nature, development, restructure and regulation of asymmetric warfare are the focus of this paper. The paper concludes that adherence to the original principles of International law as established in the United Nations Charter will enhance regulation and compliance with new rules by all States in the area of asymmetric warfare.