In Africa and the world at large, conflict continues to be a major driver of humanitarian crises and human suffering. As a research report published early in 2022 showed, the factors that account for this phenomenon include the increase in the number of conflicts and the expansion in the geographic spread of conflicts. In this context, the importance of norms that contribute to the regulation of conflicts and provide minimum standards to govern behaviour of belligerents cannot be overemphasised. While conflicts are unfortunately hard to completely avoid, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) provides rules and principles which enhance safeguards to minimise the destructive impacts of armed conflicts, particularly to civilians and civilian objects.

On 28 May 2022, the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the supreme decision-making organ of the AU, will hold its 16^th extraordinary session. The thematic focus of the extraordinary summit is on terrorism and unconstitutional changes of government. The summit is convened based on the AU Assembly February 2022 decision on the proposal of the Republic of Angola for the convening of ‘Extraordinary Summit on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa’.

2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the inauguration of the African Union (AU) as the continental organization taking over from its predecessor the Organization of African Unity (OAU). This is also the first year of the transition of the AU Commission (AUC) into its new structure under the process for the institutional reform of the AU that has been launched in 2017. During the two decades since its establishment, the AU has evolved not only in its institutional development but also in terms of its working arrangements and decision-making processes and practices. These evolutions and developments are not simply a product of the norms that set the mandate, power and functions of the AU but also importantly the practice of the AU in the implementation of its mandate and the exercise of the powers and functions entrusted to it based on the demands and needs of African states and the continent as a whole.