ICC Pleads With African Countries To Stay
In light of yesterday’s announcement by the United Nations that they have received and processed Gambia’s request to leave the International Criminal Court – along with a string of other African countries – ICC officials have pleaded with several African countries to stay with the ICC and not leave.
As the ICC opened their annual meeting in The Hague in the Netherlands today, the overwhelming call from various officials was an appeal to the African nations to reconsider their decision and remain within the ICC.
Gambia is the latest African nation to officially withdraw from the ICC; following in the footsteps of South Africa and Burundi.
Kenya, Uganda and Nambia are also expected to officially withdraw from the ICC.
Sidiki Kaba, president of the ICC’s Assembly of State Parties and a Senegalese politician pleaded with the African nations to ‘not go’.
“…[sic] Don’t go…In a world criss-crossed by violent extremism… it is urgent and necessary to defend the ideal of justice for all,” he said.
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, a human rights commissioner for the United Nations also spoke at the event and said that while the African countries’ leaders may want to withdraw from the ICC, victims of international war crimes and other crimes in the African countries are pleading to stay.
“…Though the powerful may seek to leave the court, the victims everywhere plead for its involvement…[sic] By withdrawing from the Rome Statute, leaders may shield themselves, but it would be at the cost of depriving their people of a unique form of protection,” he said.
