The article is drawn from Former UN boss,The chair of the Africa Progress Panel and Kenya 2007/08 Post Election Violence Mediator,Eminent Person Koffi Annan's speech and interview at One Young World summit in South Africa.
"I don't share the view that the ICC is anti-African," the 75-year-old Ghanian says firmly. "The ICC is not putting Africa on trial. The ICC is fighting impunity and individuals who are accused of crimes. We should also understand, and this point cannot be made strongly enough: of all the cases, four were referred to the ICC by African governments themselves. The two others, Libya and Darfur, were referred to the court by the security council."
He continues: "What is important is that African judicial systems are weak. The victims deserve justice and they want justice. When I travel around the continent, Africans want justice, preferably from their own governments if they can and, if not, from the international criminal court. The day when African courts become independent, strong and can handle these cases, I think we will see fewer referrals to the ICC.
"The question I cannot ask often enough is: who speaks for the victims? How do they get justice? Who's in their corner?"
These are burning questions in Kenya in particular, where those who suffered post-election violence more than five years ago are still waiting. But ICC trials of president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto may become another victim of the last month's al-Shabaab killing spree in Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall. It was Kenya's worst terrorist attack for 15 years, but Annan says the response must come from far and wide.
"I think the al-Shabaab issue and the terrorism issue should not be seen as only a problem for Kenya. It is an international problem and governments and security forces have to share information and intelligence and work together to deprive the terrorists of the opportunities and constantly ensure that they are on the wrong foot.
And My say....
The AU members who are threatening to withdraw from Rome Statute must do so with interest of its people and not few leaders who are protecting their own interest.AU must stop convincing us that ICC has colonised us yet its the poor leadership in AU that has colonised us.We must get independence from poor governance and Aristocratic leadership.
In an effort of pretenseby AU to save us from neocolonialism of ICC,they must'nt make us feel like we are colonised within ourselves.The leaders must first agree to let their Judiciaries be and promote international democracy and Justice,thats when they should call some taxpayer funded meeting to discuss walking out of ICC.
Research also from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/10/kofi-annan-interview-icc-african-justice
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