9 July 2009
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) today received sealed information about persons suspected of being responsible for last year's post-election violence in Kenya from Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary-general who helped mediate an end to the deadly clashes.
In a press release issued in The Hague, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he had received a sealed envelope and supporting materials that had previously been entrusted to Mr. Annan - who is also the Chairman of the African Union Panel of Eminent African Personalities - by a commission investigating the violence that erupted in December 2007 and early 2008.
Mr. Moreno-Ocampo's office has had the situation in Kenya under preliminary examination since last year, and last week a high-level Kenyan Government delegation visited The Hague to discuss the need for accountability for those responsible for the violence.
"The Kenyan authorities, while continuing all efforts to set up national proceedings, have committed to start sharing information on the current status of investigations and prosecutions arising out of the post-election violence, as well as on measures taken to protect witnesses, with a view to assisting the [ICC] Prosecutor's work," the press release noted.
If the efforts to conduct national proceedings fail, the Government agreed last week to refer the situation to the ICC within one year.
"The transmission of documents by Mr. Kofi Annan forms part of these collaborative efforts to ensure that justice is not delayed and that future crimes can be prevented," Mr. Moreno-Ocampo said.
The ICC is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It is based on a treaty known as the Rome Statute, of which 109 countries are now States Parties.
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I think thats the right move now. the kenyan Government had been given enough time to decide on establishing a local tribunal. besides it the rate of corruption with our kenyan leaders is very high and establishing a local tribunal wont lead to justice being done. corruption will creap in as usual and and those reponsible for the death of many kenyans will still sneak out untouched. the kenya top politicians and their ministers are busy grabbing the country's wealth for themselves and care very little about the voice of the suffering "mwanainchi". what has the coalition government done so far? look at the increasing crime in the Nairobi city, look at the corrupt ministers who are associated with embezzlement, look at the starving kenyans, all this is coz of high corruption in our country. our politicians are making our country stink!! my advice to fellow kenyas, "stop being used by politicians like fools. when given sh100 to go and murder a group of people you just go. the politician benefits en u after shedding inocent blood you remain in your utter poverty. lean to use your literacy wisely". kenyas who dont support the hague then support corruption. let the guys be tried in the hague and let the public lean to have peaceful democracy like other nations in the world. we have driven our economy to the bottom with millions being spend repairing the damage of the post election violence. please kenyas act wisely, think wisely!!
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