By Derrick Muduku
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has received a donation of books on International Humanitarian Law from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Jane Patricia Bako, the Communications and Prevention Manager at ICRC, handed over the assortment of books to Miriam Aceng, the Associate Dean at the UCU School of Law, in late March 2022.
“The donation comes to enrich the school’s International Humanitarian Law literature stock and to further enhance the knowledge base of students who undertake the course unit,” Aceng said. “This is a great gesture. Our students are offered International Humanitarian Law as an elective in their fourth year of study.”
According to Aceng, students writing their dissertations in line with humanitarian law and those who participate in international law moots and essay competitions will benefit from the donation. Some of the copies of the books will be at the School of Law for students to easily access, while the rest will be kept at the university’s main library.
The UCU School of Law is among the best in Uganda. The School’s students recently emerged the best in the country in a moot competition.
The School of Law received 200 copies of publications under the topic of the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949; 100 copies in the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of August 12 1949; one copy of a publication on how the law protects in war; and 50 copies on the subject of integrating the humanitarian law.
The school also received 10 copies under the Commentaries of the Geneva Conventions, 50 copies in Direct Participation in Hostilities and five copies of the Handbook of the Law of Armed Conflict.
Bako commended UCU’s focus on international humanitarian law as a course unit, adding that her organization was ready to boost its effort in equipping students with knowledge within that field.
Joel Okello Oyet, the President of the UCU Law Society, said the donation comes as relief to the law students.
“We have been facing challenges in acquiring books,” Oyet said. “Certain books are not enough for us. We are many students pursuing a course in law and towards exams, you find that only a reserve copy is left in the library.”
Agnes Kabatooro, a law student who witnessed the handover ceremony, said she was looking forward to benefiting from the publications so that she can achieve her dream of becoming a lawyer who can impact society.
The donation is part of the ICRC’s effort to equip universities offering International Humanitarian Law with literature that would facilitate student learning. The ICRC is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. Among its mandates is facilitating the incorporation of international law in the curriculum of education institutions.
