The Application of International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law to the Current Las'anod Conflict

Abstract

In the last days of January 2023, an armed conflict has broken out between the Somaliland government and the local population in the city of Las’Anod, the administrative capital of Sool region of Somalia. Serious acts of violence jeopardizing well-being and lives of people living there have been widely reported by media. This Article focuses and explains how international law protects life, property and human dignity in such critical situations. It presents the applicable human right standards as well as rules of war that must be observed during an armed conflict. Finally, the Article addresses possibility of classifying the situation as violations of international humanitarian law.