EDITORIAL: ICC’s African bias
Africa’s flirtation with the idea of quitting the International Criminal Court (ICC) has shreds of justification – but it’s a double-sided sword. The ICC is a permanent international criminal court with complementary jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.
Looking at that mandate is like watching a true-crime African documentary because, indeed, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression are fodder for a typical day on the continent.
However, such crimes are also perpetuated on a daily basis outside Africa – many times by the superpowers of the world. The West has led from the front in perpetuating genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression in parts of the world – notably Libya, Iraq, Palestine and many other places.
Despite this, it’s Africa that has been the sole target for ICC indictments. Uhuru Kenyatta, then president of Kenya, was hauled before the ICC in 2014. His deputy at the time, William Ruto, who is the current Kenyan president, also appeared.
In the eyes of the ICC, the perpetrators of deadly, unprovoked wars in Iraq and Libya are saints. Not even the global confession that there were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has seen the ICC indicting any of the warmongers.
Therefore, countries like Namibia ought to pause and ask themselves what on God’s green earth they were thinking signing up for the Rome Statute and whether – now with the benefit of hindsight – this association is still relevant.
Looking at that mandate is like watching a true-crime African documentary because, indeed, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression are fodder for a typical day on the continent.
However, such crimes are also perpetuated on a daily basis outside Africa – many times by the superpowers of the world. The West has led from the front in perpetuating genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression in parts of the world – notably Libya, Iraq, Palestine and many other places.
Despite this, it’s Africa that has been the sole target for ICC indictments. Uhuru Kenyatta, then president of Kenya, was hauled before the ICC in 2014. His deputy at the time, William Ruto, who is the current Kenyan president, also appeared.
In the eyes of the ICC, the perpetrators of deadly, unprovoked wars in Iraq and Libya are saints. Not even the global confession that there were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has seen the ICC indicting any of the warmongers.
Therefore, countries like Namibia ought to pause and ask themselves what on God’s green earth they were thinking signing up for the Rome Statute and whether – now with the benefit of hindsight – this association is still relevant.
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Namibian Sun
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