Uganda President Yoweri Museveni addresses Kenyans during the Jamhuri Day celebrations in Nairobi.
December 13, 2014
Ugandan president says he will call on AU Summit to have the continent withdraw membership from Rome Statute
By Mercy Mwai @wangumarci
Uganda President Yoweri Museveni yesterday renewed his fight against the International Criminal Court (ICC), vowing to lead African counties in a mass withdrawal from the Rome Statute.
Museveni, who was among the African leaders who graced Kenya’s 51st Jamhuri Day celebrations held at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium yesterday, said he will file a motion during the next African Union Summit for African states to have them withdraw membership from the Rome Statute.
“I will introduce a motion to the next sitting of the AU to have all African States withdraw from the court then they can be left alone with their court. They have used it as a tool to target Africa,” he said. Museveni attacked the credibility of the court, saying it is keen on frustrating African leaders instead of concentrating on procuring justice for victims of crimes against humanity.
He said although he has been a supporter of the court to end impunity, he is “tired” of the way it has been handling the Kenyan cases . “The ICC has been undermining African states. We told them to wait to try (Uhuru) Kenyatta and Ruto after they finish serving their terms, they refused.
Now see, charges against Kenyatta have been withdrawn,” said Museveni, adding: “Initially I supported it because I thought it would bring discipline but as of now…I am done with it.” He told the court to drop the charges against Deputy President William Ruto to allow him carry out his national duties without disruption.
President Uhuru Kenyatta echoed Museveni’s concerns, saying the court’s main aim of taking over the Kenyans case was to serve foreign interests. In his address to the nation yesterday, Uhuru echoed Museveni’s harsh criticism of the court, saying it was incapable of giving justice to the post-election violence victims and instead threatened reconciliation of Kenyans “I am convinced that the International Criminal Court is a real threat to our country’s hope for reconciliation and lasting national stability.
It offers no clear promise of justice for the victims of post-election violence, which traumatised this country a few years ago,” he said. And on his part Ruto was categorical that the ICC withdrew the charges against Uhuru because he is innocent and not due to lack of cooperation from the Kenyan government or lack of enough evidence. He said: “the case in the Hague against president failed not because there were no witnesses or the Government of Kenya failed to give evidence, but because our president is innocent.”
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