TERRORISM AS A CHANGING PATTERN OFARMED CONFLICT IN AFRICA: ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

ABSTRACT
This article focuses on terrorism as a changing pattern of conflict in Africa and the role that International Humanitarian Law (IHL) plays. It does this by analysing the rise of terrorist insurgency through guerilla warfare and terrorist attacks, international (territorial) armed conflicts and non-international (internal) armed conflicts in Africa, in order to distinguish between the legal frameworks governing IHL and Terrorism. The article proffers that to a large extent, IHL in the provisions of its instruments does not play a strong role in dealing with terrorism not only in Africa but elsewhere in the globe.