| dc.description.abstract | Human rights are difficult to define. Generally speaking, they are regarded as
those fundamental and inalienable rights which are essential for life as a human being.
Due to the recognition that human rights are of international concern, many conventions
and other instruments have been put in place to defend these rights. The signing of the
United Nations Charter marked the formal realization that human rights are of
international concern. The signing and ratifying of other conventions dealing with human
rights is also a sign that human rights are not limited to national boundaries.
Human rights violations in South Sudan were very common during the conflict
between the government of Sudan and the SPLM! A. The war was characterized by mass
killings,. bombing of the civilians, torturing of the prisoners, denial of access to
humanitarian aid, abduction of women and children, slavery, denial of access to health
care and other basic needs such as education, and other different forms of atrocities.
Despite the existence of the international law of human rights and its enforcement
mechanisms, there is still a problem in the ensuring that human rights are respected by
parties to a conflict. It is against this background that this study sought to find out the
effectiveness of the international human rights standards and the international law on
human rights in protecting civilians during armed conflicts.
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the
international human rights instruments in the protection of civilians during violent
conflicts, paying attention to South Sudan. It also sought to investigate the extent to
which the international community can intervene to ensure that the international human
rights standards are upheld and respected during moments of war. | en |
