Nigeria not in support of AU call for collective withdrawal from ICC –Minister

Despite a call by the African Union (AU) for the continent to collectively withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), Nigeria will not leave the organisation.

This was stated by the spokesman of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Clement Aduku in Abuja on Wednesday.

There had been insinuation that Nigeria may be quitting ICC along some other African countries, but Aduku said Nigeria’s stand on the issue as explained by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, had not changed.

AU had in January during plenary at the 28th AU Summit in Addis Ababa called for collective withdrawal of its members from the Court. It based its reason on the perception that African countries have continually being unfairly treated by the court.

But Nigeria’s Foreign Minister said Nigeria is not in support of the strategy adopted by AU for collective withdrawal from the ICC.

He said, “Nigeria is not the only voice against it; in fact, Senegal is speaking very strongly against it. Cape Verde and other countries are also against it. What AU did was to set up a committee to elaborate a strategy for collective withdrawal.

“After, Senegal took the floor, Nigeria took the floor, Cape Verde and some other countries made it clear that they were not going to subscribe to that decision.”

Onyeama further listed African countries that requested for more time to study the decision to include Zambia, Tanzania, Liberia and Botswana.

Read also: AU leaders back collective strategy to quit ICC

He said, “AU, which was not a party to the Rome Statute that established the court, should not be developing a strategy for a collective withdrawal for something that each country entered into individually. Those who feel they want to withdraw should do that individually.”

Burundi, South Africa and The Gambia, had in 2016 publicly declared their intention to withdraw from the court in what seemed to be a continental domino effect. Namibia, Kenya and Uganda are said to be contemplating withdrawing from the ICC too.

ICC has continually been regarded by African states as an incompetent, neo-colonial institution of the Western powers to try African countries.

This is based on the fact that nine of the 10 situations under investigation, with three others under preliminary investigations, involve African countries.

Out of the 124 members of the Rome Statute, African countries are 34, making it the biggest regional membership of the organisation.

 

 

 

 

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