Fear of prison, African leaders vote in support of withdrawing from International Crime Court ~ Zeniths Blog

Fear of prison, African leaders vote in support of withdrawing from International Crime Court

– Africa leaders have all decided to back out of the international Crime Court

– The major decision to withdraw came after South Africam Burundi and Gambia left the 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.

According to The Guardian, 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.

African leaders support leaving International Crime Court (ICC)

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Late last year, South Africa, Burundi and the Gambia leaders 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.

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Meanwhile, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu has threatened to drag the Nigerian government to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Speaking to ZENITHBLOG.com, the lawyer to the IPOB leader Ifeanyi Ejiofor said his client and his team was ready to go as high as the international court to get justice for his client.

We must get justice, we are at the ECOWAS court already from there if they (the FG) do not obey the orders we will head to the African Union, United Nations and ICC, until we get justice.