Abstract: | On 7 August 1990 the ANC announced that it had suspended its 30 year old armed struggle with immediate effect. Until the suspension, concern with the role of international humanitarian law in the armed conflict between the government of South Africa and the ANC had been increasing. This article traces how much practical impact on the conduct of hostilities and the fate of ANC combatants the effort to internationalize the South African armed conflict has had up to the point of suspension of hostilities. The article first recapitulates the debate about the definition of the conflict in South Africa. Next, it reviews the impact of humanitarian law on the conflict. Finally, it looks briefly at the municipal practice of other States that are or have been involved in wars of national liberation, providing evidence that most affected States avoid formal recognition of the application of humanitarian law. Notes, ref. |