Kabila announces accession to “Protocol II”

DRC President Joseph Kabila on Friday visited the headquarters for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, an ICRC press release said on Friday. During the visit, Kabila announced his country’s forthcoming accession to “Protocol II”, additional to the Geneva Conventions. “The ICRC welcomes the DRC’s participation in Additional Protocol II, which brings to 151 the number of states party to the treaty and marks another step towards universality for this important instrument,” the statement said. The Protocol applies to non-international armed conflict, setting out basic guarantees for all individuals who are not, or are no longer, taking part in hostilities. It also defines the rights of persons deprived of their freedoms, lays down judicial guarantees protecting the civilian population and civilian property, and prohibits the use of famine and forced displacement as a means of warfare. For his part, ICRC’s head, Jakob Kellenberger, thanked President Kabila for the support given by the DRC authorities to ICRC operations and to the Red Cross Society of the DRC. The two also discussed assistance and protection for people displaced by fighting and now living near conflict zone. Kellenberger assured Kabila that the ICRC would continue providing humanitarian aid for people affected by conflict, especially those displaced near the frontlines, people wounded in hostilities and individuals deprived of their freedom.