Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Tendai Hildegarde Manzvanzvike
9 July 2009
opinion
Harare — Luis Moreno Ocampo, chief prosecutor of the Hague-based International Criminal Court, is a man on a mission.
His stubborn reaction to the decision by the African Union to refuse to co-operate with the ICC shows that he wants Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir indicted at any cost.
The caveat is that he wants the 30 African states that are signatories to the Rome Treaty that established the court to help him achieve this goal by arresting President al-Bashir.
Last Sunday, a report from an international news wire read in part: "African leaders in Libya were on Friday hotly debating a draft resolution by the African Union which will, if adopted, deal a major blow to the efforts of the International Criminal Court to prosecute war criminals in Africa.
"Libya, the host country of the 13th AU Summit, circulated the surprise draft on Thursday, and by that evening, AU Foreign Ministers had moved to endorse the draft that will see the AU boycott the ICC.
"The draft declares that the AU 'deeply regrets' that the United Nations ignored its previous demand for the ICC in The Hague to postpone its arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for crimes in Darfur.
"In consequence, the draft decision provides that AU countries 'shall not co-operate' with the ICC 'for the arrest and surrender of African indicted personalities', including al-Bashir."
The draft resolution was adopted.
Pouring scorn on the conclusion, Ocampo recently told the BBC that the AU's decision would not affect the ICC's work, and that it was up to each African state to decide whether or not to arrest him.
Ocampo further argued that each of the 30 African states that are signatories to the Rome Treaty that established the court would have to decide for themselves whether or not to arrest the Sudanese leader.
He also added that only the United Nations Security Council could suspend or lift the indictment against President al-Bashir, not the ICC.
What arrogance!
The true stuff that bullies are made of, especially those who think that Africa's donor dependence has reduced Africans to objects that pander to the whims and caprices of the West, as they believe that they are their sole benefactors.
Ocampo is not a lone voice in this.
He represents the West and all its institutions.
If this is a human rights issue, why is it that human rights abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan have not received equal attention, despite outcries from all over the globe?
Ocampo's attitude toward the African leaders' resolution at the just-ended 13th Ordinary Session of the AU just goes to show that the West thinks it can still use its authority and supremacy on Africa with impunity. It is an attitude that fails to realise that in the global world, nation states should operate as partners, without the other party assuming a position of dominance.
Ocampo's utterances have serious implications about foreign relations between the West and the rest of the world.
Right now, as United States President Barack Obama is on his first official visit in Russia, there are clear indications that the approach is cautious pragmatism.
Why should Africa be different?
Notwithstanding that, the AU's position on the ICC at the summit held in the Libyan city of Sirte is historic because African leaders demonstrated true pan-Africanism and showed that they are no longer party to Western patronage who think that they are better placed to lecture them and the people of this continent about democratic principles and values despite the fact that Africans had to fight for their independence.
This is not only a step in the right direction, but it sends a strong message to the West that just as they deal with their own issues using their homegrown solutions and models, so should Africa.
It has the capability of resolving contentious issues and does not need lectures and dossiers from the US and Europe on how it should deal with its problems.
In the same vein, there is no doubt that African leaders reached such a consensus because they understand the situation on the ground, and are confident that they have courts that can develop strong mechanisms to intervene and prosecute, if need be.
However, Botswana distanced itself from the decision, and said it would not abide by the AU's decision to ignore the arrest warrant.
Botswana's Foreign Minister Pandu Skelemani said they would not endorse the resolution and his country would fulfil its obligations with the ICC.
Speaking to the BBC, Skelemani maintained that the AU decision had been rushed through without a vote, and countries could not be expected to renege on treaties "because of a sulk".
This is not the first time that Botswana has gone against the tide, preferring to please the West than stand with its African brothers and neighbours.
Last weekend's decision also came at an opportune time as the Organisation of American States, of which the US is a member, failed to restore democracy in Honduras where the constitutionally elected leader was deposed through a coup d'etat and forced into exile.
Despite US intervention, the deposed leader was denied re-entry.
Despite the failure of the OAS, the AU did not interfere in this American affair.
Although some human rights organisations have shown displeasure about the AU's decision, especially those in South Africa who felt that the Southern African state, and President Jacob Zuma in particular, should have refused to endorse the resolution, other organisations said South Africa faced the danger of being isolated if its sentiments did not follow continental feelings that the ICC is being used against African leaders, a problem that Botswana faces.
President Zuma was reported as having said there was room in the next year for exploring other avenues before the ICC deal could be considered.
Many African analysts continue to argue about how the ICC is being used by powerful Western nations against African leaders, and the bigger picture in equation.
One such analyst, Sam Akaki, writing in the electronic version of the African Executive, asked a poignant question before the latest development: "ICC: Is Africa a Cold War battleground?"
Akaki wrote in part: "To disorganise the AU, the ICC is planning to arrest Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, for 'leading a campaign of murder, rape and mass deportation in Darfur'.
"The plan is advancing despite the AU statement, which 'reiterated the AU's concern with the misuse of indictments against African leaders . . . The West is less interested in human rights in Africa than in justifying and setting the stage for a new Cold War.
"The BBC reported on July 13 that it 'has found the first evidence that China is currently helping Sudan's government militarily in Darfur'.
"Yet, China's real crime is its dominating investments in Africa which now exceeds British, the US, European Union, World Bank and IMF aid budgets, combined."
Akaki also asked: "Aren't African leaders facing a simple choice: stand firm and tell the West not to touch al-Bashir, or keep silent and wait to be picked off one by one?"
Last weekend, African leaders made the simple decision; refuse to co-operate with an anti-Africa agenda, and for that the West is mad at them.
But what's new?
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MATTHEW 10:26 DON’T BE AFRAID OF THEM, FOR THERE IS NOTHING COVERED THAT WON’T BE REVEALED AND THERE IS NOTHING HIDDEN THAT WON’T BE KNOWN.
Remember the 120 ! in the Upperroom, Gideon’s 300, One(1) believer can chase 1,000 demons & Two (2) can make 10,000 run .
How many will 1 million chase ?
Here’s An abbreviated Spirit Bomb prayer that I’d like for us to say to God The Creator Of All :
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN , HOLY IS YOUR NAME, YOUR KINGDOM COME , YOUR WILL BE DONE, IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN .
- In Jesus Name We Pray – Amen
Pray twice per day once around sunset & once around sunrise .
Have prayer lists which include Family, Christians, Truthseekers ,& Worthy Causes , etc…
SOME OF OUR LEADERS ARE UNDER DEMONIC INFLUENCE , SOME OF OUR
WORLD IS UNDER THE SAME,. OUR UNITED , CONSISTENT, CONTINUOUS
PRAYERS WILL HELP US TO SEE THROUGH JESUS’ EYES. REMEMBER , HE’S
THE HEAD, WE HAVE NO EYES, EARS, NOSE, MOUTH, ETC..WITHOUT THE
HEAD. THAT IS WHY WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT, SOUND, TASTE
OR ANY OTHER NATURAL DISTRACTION. WE ARE SPIRITUAL WARRIORS !!!
Make a Habit Of Praying Twice a Day (Sunset / Sunrise). Have A Daily Prayer, Weekly
Prayer , Monthly Prayer, even Yearly Prayer ; keeping persons, organizations and causes
in mind that you’d like to pray for at these intervals of time ( Daily-Weekly-Monthly-
Yearly).
Some prayer list suggestions –
(DAILY PRAYER LIST ) -
Christian & Natural Family -
TOP-PRIORITY Persons, Causes & Oragnizations
(WEEKLY PRAYER LIST ) -
MID-LEVEL Persons, Causes & Oragnizations
(MONTHLY PRAYER LIST ) -
- Persons, Causes & Oragnizations ( For Example – Heads Of Countries)
(YEARLY PRAYER LIST ) -
LOWER LEVEL - Persons, Causes & Oragnizations
[God Bless You Readers To Want To Know And Seek To Know The Truth] - MAY GOD BE A HAVEN OF PEACE IN OUR TIME OF TROUBLE --
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie “Coach Carter ”]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] / [http://alexjonesringtones.net/]
WAKE UP ! STAY UP MY BROTHERS & SISTERS ! BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
- Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]
In his piece entitled “ White Collar War Crimes, Black African Fall Guys,”
investigative journalist Keith Snow writes:
First note that the ICC can now be viewed as a tool of hegemonic U.S. foreign policy,
where the weapons deployed by the U.S. and its allies include the accusations of, and
indictments for, human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
To understand this, we can ask WHY NO WHITE MAN HAS YET BEEN CHARGED
with these or other offenses at the ICC (International Criminal Court) which now holds
five black African warlords and seeks to incarcerate and bring to trial another black man,
also an Arab, Omar Bashir.
Why hasn’t George W. Bush been indicted ? Or what about Donald Rumsfeld ?
Dick Cheney? Henry Kissinger? Ehud Olmert? Tony Blair?
The sad fact is that the International Criminal Court has become terribly
politicized, as has the entire international justice apparatus.
The ICC has issued indictments, for the first time in history, against a sitting head of
state. Meanwhile, according to Snow, an Israeli weapons dealer, also a reputed Mossad
operative, is revealed to be shipping weapons into Sudan with Pentagon support.
And Belgium changed its law rather than prosecute Ariel Sharon for war crimes.
The double standard cries out to us.
One country in the West, however, increasingly stands out as a place where
justice can be found?and that is Spain. With its landmark indictment of
Pinochet and its current consideration of Israeli war crimes in Lebanon and
U.S. torture in Guantanamo, we increasingly look to the Spanish Courts with
hope. It was the Spanish courts that returned indictments against Rwandan
soldiers for genocide even as the world coddles U.S. proxy Rwanda and its
leader, Paul Kagame.
[allthingscynthiamckinney.com]
BY PEACE SHALL Many Be deceived (Daniel 8:25) .
DOES THE TERM PEACEKEEPERS ring a Bell ?
Ask the people in Rwanda (who survived that Peace-keeping) about the UN PEACEKEEPERS .
President Obama’s UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE cut her teeth on the RWANDA MASSACRE….OOOPs!!! She said.
(Here’s a Search Link To Many Witnesses To THE NEW U.N. RICE MONSTER)
[http://ixquick.com/do/metasearch.pl?query=Susan+Rice+Rwanda&cat=web&pl=ff& language=english]
OBAMA DECEPTIONS
#1
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrpRocaEfQE]
#2 Here is evidence of Point 2 of the Georgia Guidestones on Reproduction .
Don't be deceived :
[http://www.infowars.com/?p=7259]
Here are search result links to what the Georgia Guidestones are
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones ]
#3
BY PEACE SHALL Many Be deceived (Daniel 8:25) .
DOES THE TERM PEACEKEEPERS ring a Bell ?
Ask the people in Rwanda (who survived that Peace-keeping) about the
United Nations PEACEKEEPERS .
President Obama’s UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE cut her teeth on
the RWANDA MASSACRE…. OOOPs!!! She said.
(Here’s a Search Link To Many Witnesses To THE NEW U.N. RICE MONSTER)
[http://ixquick.com/do/metasearch.pl?query=Susan+Rice+Rwanda&cat=web&pl=ff& language=english]
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie “Coach Carter ”]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] / [http://alexjonesringtones.net/] Life Is A Game. Have Fun . Luke 18:17 - Isaiah 11:6