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Most cases probed by ICC were at the request of African countries: HRW

Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

At least one African country has asked South Africa to go back on its stated intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that Senegal’s minister of justice‚ Sadiki Kaba‚ who is the president of the ICC’s 124-member Assembly of States Parties‚ will reiterate his plea to “South Africa and Burundi to reconsider their position” at a briefing on Monday in Dakar.

Kaba over the weekend said that the move would result in “weakening the only permanent international criminal court in charge of prosecuting the most serious crimes that shock the conscience of humanity‚ namely genocide‚ war crimes‚ crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression”.

SA’s decision emerged after an Instrument of Withdrawal penned by International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane was sent to the United Nations Secretary-General last week.

 HRW on Monday attacked her claim “that a reason for South Africa’s withdrawal is that the government cannot conduct peace negotiations with parties in armed conflict because of its obligations to the ICC”.

 “…The ICC treaty does not bar any active role in peace negotiations‚” the HRW said. ?

The HRW said that while “attacks on the ICC focus on claims that the court is targeting Africa”‚ and that “all but one of the ICC’s investigations to date are in Africa‚ the majority have been initiated following a request of an African government”.

These were “requests by their respective governments: Central African Republic‚ Côte d’Ivoire‚ Democratic Republic of the Congo‚ Mali‚ and Uganda”. – TMG Digital

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