Yemi Adebowale and And Juliana Taiwo in Abuja
4 July 2009
Lagos — The African Union is ending its co-operation with the International Criminal Court for charging President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan with war crimes. Al-Bashir is accused of alleged atrocities in the Darfur region.
Reports from the 13th AU summit of heads of state in Tripoli, Libya, said the delegates agreed in a statement saying they would not co-operate in the "arrest and surrender" of al-Bashir.
Also at the summit, Nigeria and South Africa were said to have opposed moves to extend AU's powers to cover foreign affairs, the economy and defense as a build-up to what Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi ultimately envisions as a common federal government for Africa.
The statement obtained by the AP says the African Union "deeply regrets" that the United Nations ignored its previous demand for the ICC in The Hague to postpone its arrest warrant against al-Bashir for crimes in Darfur.
Therefore, it says, AU countries "shall not cooperate" with the ICC "for the arrest and surrender of African indicted personalities."
The common ruling is seen by many as a powerful blow to prosecuting African officials for war crimes.
Yesterday's decision will now give the Sudanese president continent-wide impunity from prosecution for war crimes by the ICC.
The decision did not come easy. On Thursday, the African leaders were locked in a heated debate for hours over the draft summit decision on al-Bashir.
Several African leaders initially appeared strongly against the decision.
"For us in Ghana, there is absolutely no equivocation at all about our acceptance and respect for the jurisdiction, the integrity and high honour of dignity of the ICC," Ghana's Foreign Minister Muhammad Mumuni told reporters on Thursday.
Mumuni added that Ghana supported the AU's call to postpone the "ill-timed" ICC warrant against al-Bashir, which he said, imperiled peace efforts in Sudan and could create "a huge power vacuum."
Ghana is among 30 African countries that are party to the international court. Reed Brody, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch, said the decision "basically orders them to flout their legal obligations."
Libya is said to have been heavy-handed in pushing yesterday's decision through.
Libya was one of the first countries to ignore the ICC and host al-Bashir despite the international warrant against him issued in March.
Al-Bashir is accused by the ICC prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity for masterminding Sudanese government's violence that has led to the death of some 300,000 people in Darfur since 2003.
Sudan's acting Foreign Minister, El Samany El Wasila, hailed the AU decision.
"It is Africa's confirmation that the ICC is politically motivated and should be ignored," El Samany El Wasila told The Associated Press.
El Wasila said the international court had proved it was biased by only acting against Africans "while it ignores Israel for Gaza or (former U.S. President George W.) Bush for Iraq."
Meanwhile, Libya is spearheading a drive to lay the groundwork for an eventual United States of Africa at the summit.
Heads of state are to consider a decision to change the AU executive bodies from a "Commission" into an "Authority."
The goal is to simplify the African Union and extend its powers over foreign affairs, the economy and defense as a buildup for what Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi ultimately envisions as a common federal government for Africa.
But some of the continent's wealthier nations, led by Nigeria and South Africa, appear to be resisting the move. African diplomats say there are worries the new structure could become overbearing.
There is a need to continue "building consensus on a very important matter like that," said Ghana's Mumuni.
A Libyan official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Gadhafi stormed out of the conference room at one point because other leaders didn't follow his views. "After returning, he told his African counterparts they must reach a decision on the AU Authority before the summit ends," the official said.
In a related development, Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan has expressed hope that the changes being proposed by member-states of the AU will propel the body to move faster in its developmental agenda for the continent by adopting a common and collective approach to tackling the developmental issues of Africa.
He made these remarks when he received in audience, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Ambassador Johnnie Carson and Joel Maybury, US representative to the African Union at the ongoing 13th AU Summit in Sirte, Libya, where he is representing President Umaru Yar'Adua.
He also spoke on the reforms being carried out by the federal government.
He said the amnesty already presented to repentant militants in the Niger Delta region was a package that includes rehabilitation and capacity building programmes to equip the militants with necessary skills for reintegration into various industries.
Jonathan said the Niger Delta crisis was founded on agitation for a fair and equitable distribution of the resources from the area by the indigenes of the region.
According to him, agitation in the Niger Delta was not new, as there had been the Isaac Adaka Boro revolt and Kaiama Declaration in the past.
He however noted that the pattern of the agitation changed from around 2006 with criminal elements infiltrating the agitation, through kidnappings and crude oil theft to the extent that "even Niger Delta indigenes were being kidnapped and were now moving their parents and children to cities like Lagos and Abuja."
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How can they agree with the court? ,because they fear of their life ,they are almost the same ,so why not ,if they belive themself that is not a CLUB for African Presidents ,theyshould have a Refferendon in all the member States and see ,they fear
The below email sent to the ICC expresses how deeply I feel betrayed by the decision on Bashir taken at the AU summit in Libya.
"PLEASE DO NOT LET BASHIR OFF THE HOOK
I pray in the name of God, that you do not allow yourselves to be influenced by the nonsensical decision taken by our so-called African leaders at the AU summit. If there was any need for evidence that our leaders are more concerned about themselves than the people they lead, then this is it.
I do not understand how, in a continent in which probably more than 90% of the people are black Africans, our so-called leaders can brazenly and blatantly condone the indiscriminate killing of black people that went on (and is still going on) in Darfur. This stupid decision by these selfish people is a disgrace and probably shows (I am not sure) that we are genetically inferior. This is a SAD SAD day, in which these terribly selfish clowns have made all Africans look like fools.
I implore you to please turn on the pressure on Bashir rather than listen to what the African leaders have to say. Bashir cannot just kill black people like flies, just because they took up arms to end discrimination against them.
I used to work as a local staff member for the UN in a country in West Africa, that itself saw destruction by some drug-crazed people at the instigation of leaders like Bashir. I saw how the presence of the UN and its various institutions gave hope to the population at their darkest hour and their time of greatest need. The UN and its organs are probably the only hope we the people of Africa now have to right the wrongs that our leaders may commit against us. Yours is a sacred duty entrusted to you my humanity. PLEASE DO NOT LET US DOWN."
whats this about AUTHORITY in africa all these wicked leaders wants to gain authority over free nations that has worked without greed to develope themselves and are still working hard God forbid the leaders of those fallen nations to have authority over us i support our leaders that rejected it and i know that if those two nations (Nigeria and South Africa) refuses it will be almost impossible.
I know any human being would not want what happened in Sudan and Dafur to happen to their family. I really do not care what UK and USA do, blood is on their hands and one day they will answer for it. What I care about is what is happening in Dafur can happen anywhere else in Africa if the leaders are ready to turn a blind eye to murder and rape. Everyone just think what if it happened in your country, your sister, mother, neice, cousin etc was raped your sons, brothers, fathers, etc killed, would you not want the man responsible for this to answer for his crime!!!!
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