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African Union: Disregard ICC Gadhafi warrant
By Rukmini Callimachi Associated Press
Updated Jul 19, 2011 - 3:12:59 PM
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea - The body representing nations in Africa called on its members to disregard the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Muammar Gadhafi, an official confirmed recently, in a move that seriously weakens the tribunal's ability to bring the embattled Libyan leader to justice.
The decision passed by the 53-member African Union July 1 states that the warrant against Col. Gadhafi “seriously complicates” efforts by the organization to find a solution to the Libyan crisis.
AU executive Jean Ping also told reporters that the ICC is “discriminatory” and only goes after crimes committed in Africa, while ignoring those he says were committed by Western powers in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“With this in mind, we recommend that the member states do not cooperate with the execution of this arrest warrant,” said the motion, which was shown to The Associated Press and whose passage was confirmed by Daniel Adugna, a spokesman in the AU commissioner's office.
If countries in Africa abide by the recommendation, it opens the possibility that Col. Gadhafi could avoid prosecution by seeking refuge on the soil of his neighbors.
That has been the case for President Hissene Habre, who is accused of thousands of political killings and the systematic torture of his opponents when he ruled Chad, from 1982 to 1990, before fleeing to Senegal. He has yet to face a trial even though Senegal agreed in 2006 to create a special court to try him.
President Habre has become a symbol of Africa's inability to try its own, and on July 1, the AU attempted to address this in a parallel decision, expressing its frustration with Senegal's foot-dragging, which has included claims that the trial would be too expensive.
A total of 31 states in Africa are signatories to the International Criminal Court, representing nearly a third of the nations where the mandate applies. However, there has been increasing malaise in Africa over the ICC, which has been denounced by the continent's entrenched rulers as an instrument of neocolonialism.
Being a signatory has not always signaled compliance, and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, who was indicted of charges of genocide in Darfur, has been able to thumb his nose at the court, repeatedly flying to friendly nations like Kenya without arrest.
Diplomats present during the AU summit in Malabo said that although they support the court, they agree with the AU's claim that the warrant complicates efforts to end the crisis in Libya.
“If he knows he has nowhere to go, he will fight till the end. He would rather die than be tried,” according to a Western diplomat who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Col. Gadhafi's chief of staff Bashir Saleh, who traveled to Malabo to attend the summit, applauded the AU's decision, holding a copy of it in his hand as the heads of state emerged for their declaration following a day of closed-door deliberations on Libya.
They announced that they were inviting the warring sides to talks which will begin soon in Addis Ababa and which aim to put in place a transitional government that will oversee state affairs until new elections can be held.
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim welcomed the AU's decision not to enforce the ICC warrant, repeating the government's position that the court is an “imperialist: institution that only targets African leaders, but not Western officials.
“The ICC is a European Guantanamo Bay. It's only against the African leaders. It never deals with the crimes committed by the United States of America... and by the European powers... everywhere in the world.”
(Adam Schreck in Tripoli contributed to this report.)
It's about time.
Comments
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More proof that the world is saying FU to the USA.
AU sucks though. They allow the Sudanese govt to torture and ? the people of Darfur. -
They have a point about neoimperialism, it is also obviously a political move to give Gaddafi the leverage to negotiate a cushy exit if and when he does agree to leave Libya, and to protect their own ? from precedence down the line.
Imho, ICC doesn't really have a strong case for war crimes, and preemptive humanitarian intervention is a hard sell. -
Reminder that Gaddafi gave money to the racist cult And Sashay's family is involved with.
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Qadaffii gave money and material support to Nelson Mandela and the ANC. While the communist gave him a pat on the back and a ? uniform.
He gave hundreds of millions to the African Development Bank. He has given money to many liberation movements across the Earth. He even bankrolled Sarkozy's first presidential bid. He also bankrolled the first African Satellite saving Africans billions of dollars that they were getting charged from Europe and America in high priced fees.
Besides it was a loan not a gift. Muslims loan each other money all the time. They just don't charge exorbitant amount of fees like your people do to try to get them in debt so they can greedily take everything they have.
Funny thing is, Qadaffi has been the most successful in implementing the socialist model on the African continent, you of all people should appreciate that.
Wait........ you are a communist in theory. I forgot........... -
Why would the AU even consider this. Doesn't Bush and ? have warrants in Nigeria? They will never out Gaddafi in that sense.
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Yeah that's fantastic. Doesn't change the fact that Gaddafi gave money to the racist cult your family is involved in.
Do you really believe a coalition of non-white people built a spaceship in the early 20th century, And Sashay? Because that's what your family's racist cult teaches. -
Why would the AU even consider this. Doesn't Bush and ? have warrants in Nigeria? They will never out Gaddafi in that sense.
Because sadly, many African nations depend on Western Aid, and they would not want to compromise that aid for fear of upsetting their former colonial masters. Things are changing though.
Also, because Europe has been seeking to divide North Africa from Sub-Saharan Africa for a while now. They have been giving billions in foreign aid to try to make this happen. -
Because sadly, many African nations depend on Western Aid, and they would not want to compromise that aid for fear of upsetting their former colonial masters. Things are changing though.
Also, because Europe has been seeking to divide North Africa from Sub-Saharan Africa for a while now. They have been giving billions in foreign aid to try to make this happen.
Outside of places where Euros practically dominate, Africans and Asians have built a business relationship. Euros want to recolonize with one problem. Africa has a lot of cards. The Euros know the time is coming. They aren't happy either. That's why Asian and China teamed up. Of course the Jews are turning their back on the West and trying to jump wherever power is. We haven't even gotten into Obama yet. These next five months will be some of the wildest months in the world for our generation. -
I agree with my people.
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African Union: Disregard ICC Gadhafi warrant
By Rukmini Callimachi Associated Press
Updated Jul 19, 2011 - 3:12:59 PM
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea - The body representing nations in Africa called on its members to disregard the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Muammar Gadhafi, an official confirmed recently, in a move that seriously weakens the tribunal's ability to bring the embattled Libyan leader to justice.
The decision passed by the 53-member African Union July 1 states that the warrant against Col. Gadhafi “seriously complicates” efforts by the organization to find a solution to the Libyan crisis.
AU executive Jean Ping also told reporters that the ICC is “discriminatory” and only goes after crimes committed in Africa, while ignoring those he says were committed by Western powers in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“With this in mind, we recommend that the member states do not cooperate with the execution of this arrest warrant,” said the motion, which was shown to The Associated Press and whose passage was confirmed by Daniel Adugna, a spokesman in the AU commissioner's office.
If countries in Africa abide by the recommendation, it opens the possibility that Col. Gadhafi could avoid prosecution by seeking refuge on the soil of his neighbors.
That has been the case for President Hissene Habre, who is accused of thousands of political killings and the systematic torture of his opponents when he ruled Chad, from 1982 to 1990, before fleeing to Senegal. He has yet to face a trial even though Senegal agreed in 2006 to create a special court to try him.
President Habre has become a symbol of Africa's inability to try its own, and on July 1, the AU attempted to address this in a parallel decision, expressing its frustration with Senegal's foot-dragging, which has included claims that the trial would be too expensive.
A total of 31 states in Africa are signatories to the International Criminal Court, representing nearly a third of the nations where the mandate applies. However, there has been increasing malaise in Africa over the ICC, which has been denounced by the continent's entrenched rulers as an instrument of neocolonialism.
Being a signatory has not always signaled compliance, and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, who was indicted of charges of genocide in Darfur, has been able to thumb his nose at the court, repeatedly flying to friendly nations like Kenya without arrest.
Diplomats present during the AU summit in Malabo said that although they support the court, they agree with the AU's claim that the warrant complicates efforts to end the crisis in Libya.
“If he knows he has nowhere to go, he will fight till the end. He would rather die than be tried,” according to a Western diplomat who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Col. Gadhafi's chief of staff Bashir Saleh, who traveled to Malabo to attend the summit, applauded the AU's decision, holding a copy of it in his hand as the heads of state emerged for their declaration following a day of closed-door deliberations on Libya.
They announced that they were inviting the warring sides to talks which will begin soon in Addis Ababa and which aim to put in place a transitional government that will oversee state affairs until new elections can be held.
Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim welcomed the AU's decision not to enforce the ICC warrant, repeating the government's position that the court is an “imperialist: institution that only targets African leaders, but not Western officials.
“The ICC is a European Guantanamo Bay. It's only against the African leaders. It never deals with the crimes committed by the United States of America... and by the European powers... everywhere in the world.”
(Adam Schreck in Tripoli contributed to this report.)
It's about time.
Great news. This is loooonng overdue but hey, this is the eleventh hour. -
how exactly is not liking the ICC "saying FU to the USA?" the US has at best a working relationship with the courtMore proof that the world is saying FU to the USA.
