ANC becomes signatory to the Geneva Convention of 1949 and Protocol 1 of 1977

At a ceremony at the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, the African National Congress (ANC) President, Oliver Tambo, declared the organisation a signatory to the Geneva Convention of 1949 and Protocol 1 of 1977 on the humanitarian conduct of war. Clause 1 of this protocol says; “The civilian population and individual civilians shall enjoy general protection against dangers arising from military operations. To give effect to this protection, the following rules, which are additional to other applicable rules of international law, shall be observed in all circumstances.” The Geneva Convention was the body of international law that was aimed at regulating the conduct of armed conflict and to limit its effects.