South Africa to withdraw from International Criminal Court

Instrument of Withdrawal letter to be submitted to U.N. Secretary General

South Africa will withdraw from the Hague-based International Criminal Court, media reports in Johannesburg said on Friday.

A document confirming the withdrawal plan, signed by International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, was published by public broadcaster (South African Broadcasting Corporation’s) SABC’s United Nations correspondent.

The “Instrument of Withdrawal” letter said South Africa “found that its obligations with respect to the peaceful resolution of conflicts at times are incompatible with the interpretation given by the International Criminal Court (ICC)”.

The decision follows a dispute last year when South Africa allowed Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir to visit the country for an African Union summit, despite him facing an arrest warrant from the ICC.

South Africa said he had immunity as the head of a member state. South Africa is a signatory of the ICC, which wants Bashir arrested for alleged war crimes related to the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Earlier this month Burundi said it would withdraw from the court, and Namibia and Kenya have also raised the possibility.

Many African governments say the ICC, which was established in 2002, has shown a post-colonial bias against the continent’s leaders.

Source: AFP