Fides (with DAVID ADAMS)
South Africa’s Roman Catholic bishops have called on the nation’s government to reconsider the decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court amid fears it could lead to other African nations departing the ICC en masse.
South Africa made the announcement following the withdrawal of Burundi, accusing The Hague-based tribunal of not being impartial towards African countries. Gambia has also since announced its withdrawal with Information Minister Sheriff Bojang describing the court as the “International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans”.
In a statement signed by Mgr Abel Gabuza, bishop of Kimberley and president of Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the bishops appealed to the government to reconsider its decision and remain within the ICC “until such a time that Africa has developed an effective regional court with the capacity and will to demand accountability of all state officials and leaders, particularly the serving heads of governments.”
The South African bishops also expressed their concern that the country’s “withdrawal from ICC will influence and encourage other African Countries to leave the court en masse” with “disastrous consequences for the thousands of the vulnerable people in Africa who will in the future remain without adequate protection and remedies in the face of human rights violations perpetrated by a serving head of state”.
The bishops appealed to the South African Government and other members of African Union to use their regional bloc advantage to ensure that their repeated calls for reforms are urgently and effectively addressed. Such reforms should, among other things, include the shift in prosecutorial policy of the ICC and the withdrawal of UNSC’s referral and deferral powers so that they are conferred either to the Assembly of States Parties or the UN General Assembly.
The bishops also appealed to the South African Government to use its influence to ensure that sufficient number of member states ratify the Malabo Court Protocol so that it soon enters into force for the establishment of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“Now more than ever, given the increasing levels of political instability, Africa needs stronger protection of the vulnerable from their political leaders who commit crimes that shock the conscience of humanity, namely genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression”, the statement concludes.
