AU, ICC and Crime Against Humanity

A plan to make the African Union (AU) to
withdraw from the International
Criminal Court (ICC) at the just-concluded extra-ordinary summit at Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia has tended to raise fresh human rights concerns in Africa.

According to the report, but for roles played by President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, plans by Kenya to persuade other AU members to withdraw from the ICC would have become a reality. How that would have affected relations between Africa and the rest of the world is best imagined.

Kenya and other member-nations of the AU had asked the ICC to drop or defer the trial of sitting African Presidents. Following the refusal of the ICC to do so, Kenya had resolved to withdraw its membership from the international body and secured parliamentary vote to that effect.

For some time now, the AU has been used to put pressure on the ICC to leave the African leaders alone. Consequently the AU had accused the ICC of bias against African countries. In fact, the ICC was accused of targeting African leaders, a statement that needs to be substantiated.

While we commend President Goodluck Jonathan for that face-saving intervention, we think that what the AU is asking for is capable of being misconstrued. This is more so because Africa may have had a history of some bad leaders that cared less about human rights, no one wants to see the killing of defence-less people again.

Much as The Tide may not be privileged to know the reason why the AU wants the ICC to drop charges against the Sudanese leader over the Darfur killings and the Kenyan leader over electoral killings, the call by the AU, in our view tends to support crimes against humanity.

Apart from being signatories to the international conventions, The Tide expects African leaders to be touched by the mindless killing of fellow humans over petty and personal interests in Africa. We indeed expect the AU to support the ICC and any other international agency to help instil sanity in the way things are done, especially in matters concerning ethno-political conflicts.

While the activities of the ICC may have actually deterred some African leaders from doing things that show no respect for human lives, the trend has never been on the agenda of the AU. It has not been able to do anything to stop or penalise leaders who preside over the killing of fellow Africans in some un-acceptable circumstances.

The Tide insist that instead of speaking in support of people charged with crimes against humanity, the AU should first of all convince itself of the innocence of the persons they speak for and proceed to present evidence at the trials of such persons.

Instead of raising doubts on the character of current leaders in the continent, the AU should encourage its members to lead with the fear of God and to strive consciously to meet the needs of their people. They should lead under the rule of law where equity reigns. They should strive to win the Mo Ibrahim prize for good leadership which has not been won for three years now and not to support criminality.

We think that the attack on the ICC is unjustified and retrogressive. Africa needs to look beyond individual interest to collective interest because those killed could as well have been anybody. The ICC cannot be said to be biased as it stands to gain no special benefit other than helping to create a better, saner and safer world.

The AU should therefore support the work of the ICC and not to bring shame to the black race by supporting international criminals. What the ordinary citizens cannot do for themselves and what the leaders in Africa are not concerned with is what the world body is doing. To stand in the way of ICC is to endanger the life of more Africans.