{"id":5720,"date":"2016-02-05T04:49:53","date_gmt":"2016-02-05T04:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitederitreamedia.com\/blog12\/?p=5720"},"modified":"2016-02-05T04:49:53","modified_gmt":"2016-02-05T04:49:53","slug":"africas-leaders-protect-each-other-the-international-criminal-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/unitederitreamedia.com\/blog12\/2016\/02\/05\/africas-leaders-protect-each-other-the-international-criminal-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa\u2019s leaders protect each other The International Criminal Court"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ON JANUARY 28th the Ivory Coast\u2019s Laurent Gbagbo became the first former head of state to go on trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. Three days later the African Union (AU) resolved, among other rude comments about the court, to support Sudan\u2019s President Omar al-Bashir in his determination to ignore the warrant for his arrest on charges of genocide in Darfur. It also expressed \u201cdeep concern regarding\u2026the wisdom of the continued prosecution\u201d of African leaders including Kenya\u2019s deputy president, William Ruto, who faces charges of orchestrating violence after an election eight years ago. Kenya\u2019s President Uhuru Kenyatta, who faced similar charges which the ICC dropped in 2014, is urging African members of the ICC to withdraw from it.<\/p>\n

That may not happen soon, if at all, and it is unclear how many African countries may wish to bunk out of the court\u2019s jurisdiction: not, presumably, the Ivory Coast, whose current president delivered Mr Gbagbo to The Hague. But the episode stirs yet more bad blood between the continent\u2019s rulers and governments of the rich world, most of which back the court, and makes it harder to promote the notion that no leader who commits atrocities should enjoy impunity anywhere.<\/p>\n