RUSSIAN BOMBING OF CHECHNYA: TOWARD AN EFFECTIVE MONITORING SYSTEM OF VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW BY THE UNITED NATIONS

The bombardment of Chechnya by Russian forces paves a new dimension to the question for peaceful settlement of disputes by members of the international community and posses a crucial challenge to both international law and the United Nations Charter. It is pertinent to state that from the provision of all the legal regimes dealing with the conduct of hostilities! there is no justification of the bombing going on in Chechnya by the Russian forces. Although Russian government claims that its action is directed against Islamic militants which Russia termed as terrorists to which extent Russia views its action as justified from the perspective of international law and the need to demobilize terrorists where ever they may be with a view to bringing them to book. Whatever may have informed the action of Russia in Chechnya, there is need on the part of Russia which is the aggressor to conform with the fundamental rules of international humanitarian law relating to the concept of rationality and proportionality in the conduct of armed conflict.? There is the absolute need for Russian to éxercise caution in the bombardment raid that is taking place in Chechnya under Russian’s control. Terrorism in all its ramification is an act which must be fought from all dimensions, but in doing so the rules of the game must be adhere to. In this regard therefore, the claim by Russian that what they are doing in Chechnya is simply an attempt to bring Islamic militants to book is not tenable from the indiscriminate bombardment of civilian settlements' and the manifest attacks on members of the civilian population which invariably includes attacks on civilian objects.‘ This is a clear derogation from the fundamental rules oj international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflict. It is important to note that there is humanism in war. War is not fought in isolation of the rules dealing with th. conduct of hostilities.