Africa agrees on collective withdrawal from ICC unless its conditions are followed

The Africa Union Open-Ended Ministerial Committee on ICC has agreed on the need for collective withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the ICC by the member states who are State Parties to the Statute.

The Committee, Chaired by Ethiopian Foreign Minister H.E. Tedros Adhanom, meeting in Addis Ababa, resolved to withdraw unless; Heads of State and government as well as senior government officials were given immunity, recognition for primacy to African judicial mechanisms and AU decision making organs over the ICC as well as reduction of powers of the Prosecutor amendments of the Statute are met expeditiously.

The meeting that follows the implementation of Summit decisions of the African Union further resolved “that the provisions of the African Union charter and constitutive act as well as the decisions of AU Assembly must be respected and take precedent over the Rome Statute and decisions of the any other organ.”

“The African proposals for the Rome Statute proposed by Kenya through the African Group in New York which have been pending must be addressed expeditiously during the November 2016 Assembly of State Parties of the Rome Statute. These proposals include; i) Article 27 – on Immunity, ii) Preambular part of Rome Statute to allow for complementarity of regional judicial institutions, iii) Rule 165 – rules of procedure, iv) Article 16 on the deferral of cases, and, v) Article 70 – offences against administration of justice.”

“There should be speedy ratification by the Member States of the Protocol on the Amendment of the Statute establishing the African Court of Justice and Human Rights to make the International Criminal Chamber operational.”

“Having terminated the cases of Kenya’s Deputy President and Joshua arap Sang, the Committee felt it was unhelpful to pursue warrants of arrests that may have been issued on some other Kenyans.”

“Committee to meet the United Nations Security Council at the earliest opportunity and in any case before the July 2016 AU Summit.”

The meeting unanimously resolved that the journey for reforming the ICC mode of operation was not over until African countries regain their dignity, independence and sovereignty.