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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ETHIOPIA: Troops undergoing human rights training ahead of Liberia mission

ADDIS ABABA, 15 October 2003 (IRIN) - Ethiopian troops have undergone human rights training for their peacekeeping mission in Liberia, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday.

The 45 commanding officers underwent training at the Bilate Training Centre after a request by the Ethiopian National Defence Forces.

Some 3,000 junior officers and regular troops also underwent training on the basic principles of the Law of Armed Conflict (LoAC), the ICRC added.

The law of armed conflict, while not prohibiting war, rather spells out a balance between military necessity and the demands of humanity.

It requires troops to maintain a degree of humanity on the battlefield and imposes limitations on means and methods of warfare.

"Basically people who are not or no longer taking part in the conflict must be spared and treated humanly and there are limitations in the choice and means and methods of warfare," the ICRC said in a statement received by IRIN.

"The ICRC's aim in providing this course is to give Ethiopian officers and troops in-depth knowledge and skills to enable them to make use of the LoAC in their peacekeeping mission in Liberia," it added.

The ICRC said the course also focused on civilian and military cooperation, guidelines surrounding UN peacekeepers and international humanitarian law.

In August, Ethiopia pledged to send troops under the UN peacekeeping umbrella to help maintain order in war-torn Liberia.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict, (IRIN) Human Rights

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