Kofi Annan‚ former UN secretary-general‚ has strongly defended the International Criminal Court (ICC)‚ arguing that if Africans and others cannot get justice in their domestic courts they should seek it abroad.
His backing of the court comes amid growing threats from African leaders to quit The Hague-based court and follows the collapse of its case against top Kenyan politicians.
In April‚ the court dropped charges against William Ruto‚ Kenya’s vice-president‚ who had been accused of helping to orchestrate deadly violence following the East African nation’s 2007 elections.
The suspension of the case after several witnesses reversed their testimony‚ or disappeared altogether‚ came 16 months after the International Criminal Court dropped similar charges against Uhuru Kenyatta‚ Kenya’s president.
Annan rejected accusations that the court was an anti-African institution.
He said Slobodan Milosevic and others convicted of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia had been tried in The Hague.
African leaders “shouldn’t pretend that they were the first” or that the process was biased‚ Annan‚ a Ghanaian‚ said.
Lord Mark Malloch-Brown‚ who served under Annan as deputy secretary-general‚ separately said there was a crisis in international justice.
The International Criminal Court had‚ he said‚ “got itself on the wrong side of a PR (public relations) and political campaign in Africa”.
The implosion of the Kenyan case also revealed a structural weakness‚ Malloch-Brown said.
Annan also criticised the court for not doing enough to protect witnesses from intimidation and questioned the decision to allow Kenyatta and Ruto to remain free while the case proceeded.
Several African governments have threatened to quit the court.
In 2015‚ SA said it would review its membership after criticism over its failure to detain Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir‚ who is wanted by the court on charges of war crimes and genocide.
Annan said he was convinced that ordinary Africans wanted their leaders held to account.
“They want justice if they can get it from their own courts and‚ if not‚ an international court.”
Annan said “one has to find a way of holding people accountable but not letting justice be an impediment to peace”. — The Financial Times Ltd 2016
Annan calls for Africa to back ICC
His backing of the court comes amid growing threats from African leaders to quit The Hague-based court and follows the collapse of its case against top Kenyan politicians.
In April‚ the court dropped charges against William Ruto‚ Kenya’s vice-president‚ who had been accused of helping to orchestrate deadly violence following the East African nation’s 2007 elections.
The suspension of the case after several witnesses reversed their testimony‚ or disappeared altogether‚ came 16 months after the International Criminal Court dropped similar charges against Uhuru Kenyatta‚ Kenya’s president.
Annan rejected accusations that the court was an anti-African institution.
He said Slobodan Milosevic and others convicted of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia had been tried in The Hague.
African leaders “shouldn’t pretend that they were the first” or that the process was biased‚ Annan‚ a Ghanaian‚ said.
Lord Mark Malloch-Brown‚ who served under Annan as deputy secretary-general‚ separately said there was a crisis in international justice.
The International Criminal Court had‚ he said‚ “got itself on the wrong side of a PR (public relations) and political campaign in Africa”.
The implosion of the Kenyan case also revealed a structural weakness‚ Malloch-Brown said.
Annan also criticised the court for not doing enough to protect witnesses from intimidation and questioned the decision to allow Kenyatta and Ruto to remain free while the case proceeded.
Several African governments have threatened to quit the court.
In 2015‚ SA said it would review its membership after criticism over its failure to detain Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir‚ who is wanted by the court on charges of war crimes and genocide.
Annan said he was convinced that ordinary Africans wanted their leaders held to account.
“They want justice if they can get it from their own courts and‚ if not‚ an international court.”
Annan said “one has to find a way of holding people accountable but not letting justice be an impediment to peace”. — The Financial Times Ltd 2016
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos