Institute for War & Peace Reporting (London)
10 July 2009
(Page 3 of 3)
Smith said the outreach team at the Special Court for Sierra Leone worked with NGOs, which knew how to reach people and overcome cultural and language barriers, "There are certain messages that have to come from the court, but civil society played a crucial role in getting the message out."
Arbia agreed that local NGOs play a crucial role in helping the court to reach people, "We are very grateful for that. Without the contribution of NGOs in this difficult situation, it would not be possible for us to act as we do."
When asked whether the 109 states that support the court and back it financially, called the Assembly of States Parties, ASP, should apportion more money to outreach activities, Arbia said that there are other factors which limit the court's ability to reach all affected communities, and called on the 109 states also to play a role.
"Even if we get more money, the court alone can never do everything that is necessary. It is not possible for us - the number of staff will always be limited. Sometimes we fail because we don't receive support. We cannot go to a village because we don't have security sometimes because of lack of cooperation of the state," she said.
NGOs, journalists, lawyers and victims are frustrated by the lack of information about the ICC because they believe in the court and are impatient to see justice in their countries.
Getting through to war-affected people is a challenge. Speaking about the detention of Bemba, one woman in Bangui said, "I don't know where Bemba is. He must be in his own country. We heard about ICC but made no effort to know about it. We have bad memories of Bemba so don't want to know."
She said she cannot read newspapers and does not have access to a radio and would therefore struggle to hear about the court even if she wanted to. However, she stressed that she hopes the court's involvement in the CAR will "stop people raping, knowing they may face justice".
Mathurin Constant Nestor Momet, from Le Confident newspaper in Bangui, said, "The ICC is reassuring, because it is fair in the middle, not on the side of the government or the people."
NGO leaders in North Kivu hope that the ICC will start engaging them soon, or speculation about what the court is doing, and disappointment about what it does not appear to be doing, will spiral.
They are impatient for the ICC to bring its message clearly to the Kivus, confident that it could help deter violent behaviour from authorities and militia leaders.
"The authorities are protecting perpetrators and say that they need peace first and justice after, but there is no peace without justice. People want to see ICC sensitising those authorities as well," Moustapha said.
Reported by Jacques Kahorha in Goma and Katy Glassborow in Bangui. With additional reporting by Patrick Tshamala and Taylor Toeka Kakala in the DRC, and Ewing Ahmed Salumu in The Hague.
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