12 Oct 2013 – Today African leaders are meeting in Addis-Ababa to discuss their membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is the only global court able to adjudicate cases of genocide and other crimes against humanity. If African leaders vote to leave the ICC, we will all live in a less safe world.
The ICC is a young institution. It is not perfect. However, if the ICC is to succeed, it needs Africa’s support. The ICC needs African voices to inform its development. The ICC needs African experiences to shape its future. And the Aegis Trust knows first hand the crucial role justice and reconciliation play in communities trying to rebuild their lives.
In Sudan, the ongoing persecution of civilians in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and continued instability in Darfur is preventing the nation from moving forward. Sudan’s President, Omar Bashir, has been charged by the ICC with genocide and crimes against humanity for the systematic ethnic cleansing of non-Arab peoples in Darfur. President Bashir should stand trial for these charges. Since the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest, Bashir has been unable to travel freely. If African leaders vote to leave the ICC tomorrow, the prospect of justice will be set back even further for the Sudanese people.
We urge African leaders to consider the heavy responsibility they bear as they debate the future of Africa and the ICC. The ICC is a tool of prevention and reconciliation well as punishment: the decisions that are made today will affect populations at risk now and in the future, in Africa and around the World. The consequences of leaving the ICC without African support will be far reaching. Corrupt and criminal leaders around the World will be emboldened if the ICC is stripped of African support.
Aegis welcomes Friday’s statement from Kenya’s Foreign Minister clarifying that her government was not lobbying for a coordinated pull out from the ICC, however the debate scheduled for today remains concerning.
We therefore hope that Africa’s leaders will reaffirm their commitment to international justice and look to the future to collectively build a strong, global International Criminal Court that serves the best interests of Africa and the World.
