Extra-custodial Use of Force in Counterterrorism Operations in Africa and the Prohibition of Torture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2521-2583/10729Keywords:
cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment, counterterrorism in Africa, extra-custodial torture, extra-custodial use of force, law enforcement, torture, armed conflictAbstract
A burgeoning number of operations within and outside armed conflicts are being conducted against suspected terrorists in various African nations. It is well settled as a matter of international law that torture is perpetrated when severe pain or suffering is inflicted on a prisoner or other detainee, including suspected or convicted terrorists, by or with the acquiescence of the authorities. This article considers the extent to which unlawful use of force outside a custodial setting may also be adjudged a violation of the international legal prohibition of torture. A number of domestic laws implementing the jus cogens rule on the prohibition of torture in Africa limit the duty to prosecute only acts of torture and not also other forms of proscribed ill-treatment. Accordingly, assessing the use of force in terms of torture may contribute to greater accountability for unlawful acts by state agents engaged in counterterrorism across the continent. Based on a review of applicable international law, this article concludes that significant, unlawful extra-custodial force may amount to torture when it is intentionally and purposively directed against a particular person or group of persons under the perpetrator’s effective control, whether or not there is physical distance between him and the victim. This is particularly so when a discriminatory element is present in the decision to use force. This assessment pertains to force applied both during a law enforcement operation and during the conduct of hostilities in a situation of armed conflict.
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