Article

2017-02-01 International-UN-NGOs

African leaders plan mass withdrawal from international criminal court

African leaders have adopted a strategy calling for a collective withdrawal from the international criminal court. The non-binding decision came behind closed doors near the end of an African Union summit.

It was the latest expression of impatience by African leaders with the court, which some say has focused too narrowly on Africa while pursuing cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Late last year, South Africa, Burundi and the Gambia all announced plans to leave the court, leading to concerns that other states would follow.

Desire Assogbavi, head of Oxfam International’s liaison office to the summit, confirmed the adoption of the strategy. A source close to the continental body’s legal council also confirmed it, saying countries had been divided on whether to call for leaving the court individually or together.

The source said the majority of countries also wanted the meaning of immunity and impunity amended in the Rome Statute, the treaty that set up the court in 2002. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press.

Some African countries have been especially critical of the ICC for pursuing heads of state.

And there's the problem...

Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has been wanted by the court since 2009 for allegedly orchestrating atrocities in Darfur. The ICC also caused an uproar among some African nations by indicting Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta on charges of crimes against humanity for 2007 post-election violence in which more than 1,000 died. The case collapsed because of what the ICC prosecutor called lack of cooperation by Kenya’s government.

Posted by Steve White 2017-02-01 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11135 views ] Top

#1 Suck to be EU. First Brexit, then Trump, now even Africans flee ~~its kangaroo court~~ ICC.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-02-01 00:36|| 2017-02-01 00:36|| Front Page Top

#2 A fully functional International Criminal Court is the wet dream of globalists everywhere.

They'd get to define what a crime is, what the punishments are and whom to target. Of course the sticking point is whose gun is enforcing said laws and capturing said criminals.

Posted by AlanC 2017-02-01 07:50|| 2017-02-01 07:50|| Front Page Top

#3 Good. The US should follow.

Posted by DarthVader 2017-02-01 07:58|| 2017-02-01 07:58|| Front Page Top

#4 Well, they're right. The ICC only prosecutes Africans. Even Milosevic died of old age before being convicted.

Posted by Phaviger the Elder5477 2017-02-01 08:21|| 2017-02-01 08:21|| Front Page Top

#5 Yes... old age.

Posted by Pappy 2017-02-01 11:49|| 2017-02-01 11:49|| Front Page Top

#6 The Lawfare army of the EU seems to be running into the classic problem confronting "Soft Power" advocates: What if they just ignore you?

Posted by magpie 2017-02-01 13:15|| 2017-02-01 13:15|| Front Page Top

#7 #5 Yes... old age.

That's our story and we're sticking to it.

Posted by SteveS 2017-02-01 14:24|| 2017-02-01 14:24|| Front Page Top

#8 It would be intersting if Trump and Putin both dropped out (is Russia even a member?). I bet a lot of nations would follow suit.

Unfortunately the 'concept' of an international criminal court that did its job correctly is a good one and dropping out would easily be painted as dictatorial.

Posted by rjschwarz 2017-02-01 17:37|| 2017-02-01 17:37|| Front Page Top

00:33 EMS Artifact