IJCentral: International Justice Central

The recent statement issued by the African Union, where they refuse to cooperate with the ICC regarding the arrest warrant it issued for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, would appear to be a de facto declaration that Africa will be an impunity zone for its leaders.  Because of all the mainstream media attention that the AU statement received it would be easy to conclude that Africa doesn’t want justice or accountability for mass atrocities committed by its leaders and warlords.  But the AU statement unleashed a furor amongst African civil society groups angered at this brazen ploy by their leaders to shield themselves from justice.  Here I will share with you a statement by Chris Ongom, Director of the Uganda chapter of Africa Youth Initiative (AYINET), and is representative of the cries for accountability and responsible governance that the AU statement sparked:

“Uganda has invited Sudan president to attend SMART partnership business conference in Munyonyo at the end of this month.I have no problem with that.The problem comes where goverment representatives begins to utter public statements ignoring Uganda legal obligation under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which includes implementing the arrest warrant aginst Bashir.What need to be sated clear in this generation is African leaders need to be told the truth plus facts that they can not continue to down play their people beacuse of their ignorance.They abused their leadership and cause death,atrocities to their own and when it comes to accountabilty,they turn out to be gods who can not be touch.Now everybody is talking against arresting Bashir not against the death of Darfurians,fellow African how can the Western world be praised only if they are giving humanitarian assistance,paying for our national budget and if it come sto the issue of justice,they are bad news.African leaders are making fools of themseves not any body.It is upon those who have been born,raised,and grown down here in Africa to use African language and comminicate the truth of the matter that we need justice to be done.Perpetrators in Africa and other places must answer for the crimes they committed irrespective of wether you are a general or not.The bence mark is you have comitted crimes.Come OR GO AND ANSWER BEFORE THE ICC OR NATIONAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM WHICH HAS DOMESTICATED THE STATUTE.Please lady and gentlemen as civil society let us continue this advocay we are neither secured nor safe.We are victims since are the ones who are always down there to stand with the victims in emergencies and crises.”