INTERNATIONAL LEGAL REGULATION OF MILITARY AI AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AFRICAN REGIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

In 2021, a United Nations Panel of Experts report on Libya raised global alarm over the potential use of an autonomous drone during the 2020 Libyan civil war. The phenomenon immediately generated a flurry of intense debate among scholars, civil societies, and international legal experts, and policymakers. However, much of the discourse has been shaped by the interests and security priorities of wealthy and militarily advanced nations, with insufficient attention paid to the unique vulnerabilities and security concerns of developing countries, especially those in Africa and the broader Global South. The study, therefore, examines the adequacy of international law in the context of the foregoing and explored the special security challenges these emerging military technologies pose to Africa and how the continent should respond. The study adopts a doctrinal legal research methodology, complemented by a comparative legal analysis of relevant international legal instruments. Findings indicate that strategic security risks exist, including the potential proliferation of AI weapons to non-state actors. This study calls for proactive engagement by African political institutions to strengthen regional security and to assertively contribute to the development of future international normative frameworks governing the use of AI in warfare.