Read article: Special reps brief U.N. Security Council on Sudan
By Evan Buxbaum, CNN
June 15, 2010 -- Updated 0229 GMT (1029 HKT)
"...in recent months, the US government has declared its interest in working more closely with the ICC – not with the intent of becoming a party to the Rome Statute (the ICC treaty), but to help execute arrest warrants." (See Samar Al-Bulushi and Adam Branch wrote: AFRICOM and the ICC: Enforcing international justice in Africa?).
Human rights can only be protected in an atmosphere of the rule of law. To police Africa, the USA must not be seen as operating above the law. You cannot commit your own genocides with impunity whilst pretending to clear this up! The reason given by the US government to remove their signature from the ICC instead of ratifying it was that “politicized prosecutions and investigations” could result in Americans being brought before the ICC.”
Meanwhile, “politicized prosecutions and investigations” is exactly what Parliamentarians from member-countries of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Africa are complaining of. They are accusing the Court for selectively pursuing justice by focusing on investigating suspected criminals mainly from this continent: "while the ICC is keen on investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, the Court is sitting on numerous complaints against Western leaders who are accused of causing untold suffering from wars they started in the Middle East... They said that the ICC appears to act under influence of some Western powers who use it as an instrument to weed out leaders who are against their policies in Africa."
“The ICC as a court per see is innocent. Our problem is that the process of indictment is usually politicised. For instance, the United States’ voice is loudest yet it isn’t a member of the ICC. But those who are members but with little international influence cannot have their grievances listened to,” said Isaac Musumba, Uganda’s Minister for Regional Co-operation."
The ICC's very credibility is at stake for contemplating the use of USAfriCom as its police force. The people of Africa do not want to see a US that is not only above the laws of genocide and war crimes, Whilst offering their services to arrest African suspects for the ICC! The US still keeps on the statue books, a law that authorizes the US to raid Den Haag and free "covered United States" or "allied persons". Such a policy clearly has no future in Africa.
Forward Ever! Backwards Never!!!
Cheers!
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Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Nana-Akyea-Mensah
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