Felly Kimenyi
2 July 2008
Sharm El Sheikh — African Presidents have condemned in the strongest terms foreign indictments filed against senior officers of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) by two foreign judges.
They announced the resolution yesterday at the ongoing African Union Heads of State Summit in the Egyptian port city of Sharm El Sheikh.
"The Summit requests the chairperson of the AU Commission to urgently cause a meeting between the AU and EU to discuss the matter with a view to finding a lasting solution to this problem and in particular to ensure that those warrants are withdrawn and are not executable in any country," says a resolution from the Summit.
The indictments, denounced by various continental institutions, were issued by two judges from France and Spain against RDF officers.
"Those warrants shall not be executed in the African Union member States," the Presidents unanimously ruled.
The Heads of State urged that the political nature and abuse of the principle of universal jurisdiction by judges from some non-African States against African leaders, particularly Rwanda, is a clear violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"The abuse of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction is a development that could endanger international law, order and security," the Heads of State resolved.
President Paul Kagame was present at the summit which opened Monday.
The Presidents also called upon the chairperson of the AU commission to table the matter before the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly for consideration.
The development comes after an AU ministerial meeting and the Pan-African Parliament earlier this year, separately recommended that the issue be tabled before the Presidents.
They had all condemned the indictments, on the grounds that they were in contravention of the international law and were in total disregard to state sovereignty, to which all UN member-states are entitled.
All the indictments were issued on the basis of hearsay, mostly propagated by elements on the run from justice for the role they played in the 1994 Tutsi Genocide which left over one million people dead.
None of the two judges came to Rwanda to carry out investigations prior to issuing the indictments a fact, among others, that has been criticised by various international judicial experts.
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Really? They can keep their trades and let Africa keep their integrity. How many Europeans have been tried in Africa without Europe raising an eyebrow or calling such settings a kangeroo court?
It is not an alarming pattern but an awakening on the part of African leaders. They should have been doing this often sending clear signal to Europe and other power blocks that Africans are human beings too and have their own systems in place.
Europe was not born in a day, Africa should be allowed to emerge. They fund all the crises in Africa, show me any company that produces AK47 in Africa.
Give me a break! If you an African, I think yu need to remove the veil and understand that we are in a new world order.
Oh come on! "Africans are human beings...." That is precisely what this is all about! When African leaders can stop thinking of themselves and start thinking of their people; start SERVING their people like true leaders, only then maybe we can have peace in Africa. What we see in Mbeki and other AU members is a wierd mentality that justifies the horrendous death and suffering of their own people just to spite the west!
PS... It was the EAST that made the AK47.
I canīt believe what are you saying. As was noticed before many of your african leaders are dictators who are going against your own people and you are standing behind them ? Those who commited genocide in Rwanda obviously are not human beings and deserve to be punished. Kagame is not willing to do that so somebody else has to. Please do not talk about national sovereignty if your are not capable to deal on your own with your problems. As Europeaan I admit mistakes of white man in Africa but now many of us is trying to help you. Many of Africans can not admit their own mistakes and behind all your problems you just see white man. This is absolutely ridicilous. There is no factory for AK47 in Africa what I know, but who buys and who shoots from machines ?
The Editor of Delia Blog obviously have a Coloniser mentality, the kind of Mentality of Colonisation time,a racist mindset that sets the West above the rest of the World, the kind of racism that want to make the World believe that Africans are less intelligent or intellectually capable.
He mentioned corruption, hypocrisy and other things. Let me point him to the corruption, hypocrisy of the Western Countries, Practice what you preach. Let us start with Human rights, how many Africans have been deported in Europe for seeking Refuge? And of course, it is the same Western Countries that would want to send their NGO's or what they call emergency Aid to Africa as if they care much about the internally displaced People.
On the issue of corruption, show me one Country that is not corrupt, how many African Countries manufacture Weapons in Africa? You know very well that it benefits some Western Countries to supply weapons in War zones in Africa.
I'd suggest to the Editor of Delia Blog to be careful with his racist comments on Africa, sort your house first before you point your finger at Africa.
The West needs Africa. It is the Cradle of human kind. It is where you find peaceful people who don't colonise anyone. Africa is the only Continent you experience real Humanity. Despite our goodness was disrupted, One day we will claim our goodness back. I set quite and have been asking myself a couple of days ago that I wonder if I go to Europe or any other Continent whether I would be welcomed like I do welcome those from outside Africa to my Continent. I wonder!
Africa deserves and should be given a WORLD PEACE AWARD of some sort.
Cradle of Human Kind? I should hope not! You blame the West for the guns in your country? I would look at the Russians for that one. Or maybe the people shooting the guns, you know the children that are forced to be soldiers? Who do you think buys the guns, they sure as hell aren't shipped there for free. And no the West doesn't need Africa. We spend trillions there every year to help the sick and hungry, and we need you?
People, I donīt understand why are you always just looking back and never ahead. Thatīs maybe your problem. People who colonised Africa it vwas just small percentage off all population. I am for example from Czech Republic. We never ever colonised anybody and we are placed in Europe as well so many other nations who have nothing to do with colonialism, anyway 99% of colonialist are dead now. People are everywhere same !!! Pls. dont make difference just good and bad, nothing less nothing more. Africa isnīt only continent which has experienced real humanity. I can say you would be welcome in my home if you come to Europe, in my village and in my country. Of course you mind find some stupid people who will dislike you same like me. Many times they abused me in Africa just because my colour of skin...African are same rasist as Europeans and Americans are..no less, no more...just everywhere same
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Does anyone else see an alarming pattern in the AU's rejection of any and all attempts by the 'west' to treat African perpetrators of genocide in the same way as they do Europeans and others? The AU cannot have it both ways: profiting from 'western' trade and aid whilst turning a blind eye to the vile corruption, human rights abuses and outright genocide within its ranks.
AU leaders should think twice before throwing the baby (western trade and aid) out the bath water (hatred of all things 'white'--except money, of course). African hypocrisy on these issues will continue to marginalise Africans issues in international fora. The 'west' can do without Africa but can Africa do without the 'west'?