ICC has disappointed Africa - Oulanyah

Mar 24, 2017

Speaking at the 45th Session of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels, Tuesday 21st March, 2017, Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah said that African countries can resolve to leave the ICC if the institution continues targeting and harassing African leaders.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament has cautioned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) risks being alienated and rejected by the African nations in particular, because of its apparent bias against them.

Speaking at the 45th Session of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels, Tuesday 21st March, 2017, Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah said that African countries can resolve to leave the ICC if the institution continues targeting and harassing African leaders.

'The ICC's continued harassment of African leaders, positions it as a vehicle of neo colonialism which we as African nations should reject. We need to revisit our commitment to the ICC if they continue this attack against our counterparts. We cannot afford to sit back and look the other side as Sudan, Congo and Kenya are harassed,' Oulanyah said.

He said that Uganda was among the first to embrace the ICC because of the Lord's Resistance Army and later a number of African countries decided to join so as to jointly fight impunity on the continent regarding crimes against humanity.

"However, to our dismay, we are finding that the line that the ICC is towing has defeated its purpose of existence," the he said.

He called upon other African countries to take careful consideration in making decisions regarding their membership to the ICC, adding that it is high time the African states considered having a Court of their own.

"We should, as Africa, shoulder our responsibilities and have a court of our own. We await the African Union decision on this proposal, which we should fully support. Much as each individual country can in its own right make the decision on whether to stay in the ICC or not, we must continue this debate until we reach a decision,' he said.

Parliamentarians from other countries also expressed concern over the impartiality of the ICC, stating that the institution was attacking and undermining the independence of African nations.

"Our sovereignty as African states is being questioned. However, we need to be able to take individual positions regarding our membership to the ICC, because we signed the Rome Statue as individual states, not as the African Union,' a contributor from the DR of Congo said.

He added, however, that if the African states resolved to leave the ICC, there was need for them as leaders to fight impunity in their countries and ensure that the citizens, whom they represent, are entitled to justice.

A contributor from Grenada cautioned the Committee members against standing in the way of justice, saying that populations are looking at the international community to deal with the situation and help them find solutions.

"Let's take the key facts into consideration as we make the decision. Let's address the conduct of the ICC against African countries and remember that bad leaders should be held accountable for their misdeeds against the citizenry," he said.

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