Hear AU on ICC cases, say regional MPs

By MOSES NJAGIH

Kenya: A parliamentary body bringing together legislators from Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries has lobbied State Parties to the Rome Statute to give consideration to the decision by the Africa Union to suspend trials of sitting Heads of States.

In their resolution delivered a day before the Rome Statutes member states vote on proposed amendments to the regulations guiding the trials at the International Criminal Court (ICC), the ACP Parliamentary Assembly called for “favourable” considerations to the request by AU.

AU has called for the suspension of trials of sitting Heads of States during their tenure.

The legislators, who are attending the ACP-EU’s 34th Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, expressed regret at the manner UN Security Council (UNSC) had treated numerous requests from the AU over Kenya’s  ICC cases.

 “The repeated requests of the AU to both the ICC and UNSC regarding the cases of sitting Heads of States have not resulted in favourable considerations… the handling of these cases should contribute to the promotion and acceleration of national reconciliation and healing,” the ACP legislators said in their resolution.

They noted that the congress of member states of the Rome Statute was the right forum to discuss issues of the ICC as opposed to the UNSC, which also includes countries who are not signatories to the statute.  The resolutions of the assembly will be seen as the last-ditch effort to lobby support for Kenya’s position at State Parties meeting.