AU makes decision on Uhuru Kenyatta and the ICC
Published: 2013 October 14 05:24:37 (4550 Views)
Members of the African Union (AU) have resolved that Kenya's President, Uhuru Kenyatta must not go to the Hague to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and proceedings against Vice President William Ruto should be terminated.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said the resolution was passed during a closed door session of the extraordinary session of the AU Assembly held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday.
Mr Kenyatta was due for trial at the Hague on the 12th of November but Minister Mumbengegwi told journalists in Harare that AU members resolved that he snub the trial.
Cde Mumbengegwi said President Robert Mugabe is among 20 African heads of state who made submissions during the closed door meeting and he made strong interventions, saying Africa should never accept a situation where a sitting head of state is paraded in a foreign court, and the president also made it clear that heads of state enjoy immunity when they are in office and the law must not be applied selectively.
A resolution was also passed for the AU to send a high powered delegation to New York to engage the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the issue of the ICC indicting sitting heads of state.
The high powered delegation comprising one representative from each of the five regions on the continent will be led by the AU Chairperson, Mr Hailemariam Dessalegn, who is also Ethiopia's prime minister.
The delegation will engage both permanent members and non-permanent members of the UNSC.
Meanwhile, President Mugabe arrived back from Ethiopia on Saturday evening and spoke to journalists soon after arrival.
President Mugabe said the AU member states cannot take action against the ICC but have recommended that the 34 countries that signed and ratified the Rome statute must withdraw in their own capacities, and in the meantime, proceedings against President Kenyatta of Kenya be deferred in accordance with Article 16 of the ICC.
"34 African countries are signatories to the Rome statute that created the ICC, but the double standards exhibited by the tribunal over the last years have become a cause for concern," said President Mugabe.
The ICC is accused of targeting African leaders while ignoring atrocities committed elsewhere.
The trial of Kenyan Vice President Ruto commenced at the ICC a few days ago and President Kenyatta was set to go for trial on the 12th of next month.
- ZBC
Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said the resolution was passed during a closed door session of the extraordinary session of the AU Assembly held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday.
Mr Kenyatta was due for trial at the Hague on the 12th of November but Minister Mumbengegwi told journalists in Harare that AU members resolved that he snub the trial.
Cde Mumbengegwi said President Robert Mugabe is among 20 African heads of state who made submissions during the closed door meeting and he made strong interventions, saying Africa should never accept a situation where a sitting head of state is paraded in a foreign court, and the president also made it clear that heads of state enjoy immunity when they are in office and the law must not be applied selectively.
A resolution was also passed for the AU to send a high powered delegation to New York to engage the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the issue of the ICC indicting sitting heads of state.
The high powered delegation comprising one representative from each of the five regions on the continent will be led by the AU Chairperson, Mr Hailemariam Dessalegn, who is also Ethiopia's prime minister.
The delegation will engage both permanent members and non-permanent members of the UNSC.
Meanwhile, President Mugabe arrived back from Ethiopia on Saturday evening and spoke to journalists soon after arrival.
President Mugabe said the AU member states cannot take action against the ICC but have recommended that the 34 countries that signed and ratified the Rome statute must withdraw in their own capacities, and in the meantime, proceedings against President Kenyatta of Kenya be deferred in accordance with Article 16 of the ICC.
"34 African countries are signatories to the Rome statute that created the ICC, but the double standards exhibited by the tribunal over the last years have become a cause for concern," said President Mugabe.
The ICC is accused of targeting African leaders while ignoring atrocities committed elsewhere.
The trial of Kenyan Vice President Ruto commenced at the ICC a few days ago and President Kenyatta was set to go for trial on the 12th of next month.
- ZBC
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