ICC Members Continue to Dwindle as Gambia Withdraws

While the African nation claims that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is out to persecute ‘“people of colour”, the ICC’s ex-prosecutor believes that African leaders are simply trying to continue covering up crimes.

Gambia announced their withdrawal from the ICC yesterday, accusing the tribunal of “persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans”.

This decision follows similar announcements by South Africa and Burundi, earlier in the month.

Gambian information minister, Sheriff Bojang, claims that the institution has been used “for the persecution of Africans and especially their leaders” and yet ignores those committed by western leaders. The minister made specific reference to Tony Blair, former British prime minister, who the ICC failed to indict over the Iraq war.

Gambia has stated multiple reasons for their decision to withdraw. They claim that they have unsuccessfully been trying to bring justice to the thousands of African refugees and migrants who have died trying to reach European shores. Gambia sees this as a crime on the part of the EU.

The fear now is that more and more countries will continue to withdraw.

The ICC addressed South Africa and Burundi this weekend past, in an attempt to convince them to reconsider:

“I urge them to work together with other states in the fight against impunity, which often causes massive violations of human rights”.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former ICC chief prosecutor, criticised Burundi and South Africa:

“Burundi is leaving the ICC to keep committing crimes against humanity and possible genocide in its territory. Burundi’s president wants free hands to attack civilians”.

Ocampo also mentioned, Nelson Mandela, former South African president, saying that he “promoted the establishment of the Court to avoid new massive crimes in Africa. Now under the [Jacob] Zuma leadership, South Africa decided to cover up the crimes and abandoned African victims. The world is going backward… The chaos is coming. Genocide in Burundi and a new African war are in motion.”