The International Criminal Court's building in The Hague, Netherlands. PHOTO | FILE
Kenya is monitoring African withdrawals from the International Criminal Court (ICC) “with very keen interest,” ambassador Tom Amolo told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.
“Something radical and urgent must be done if this court is to stand any chance of long-term survival as a viable and credible international institution,” said the Kenyan envoy.
He stopped short of threatening that Kenya would join three other African nations — Burundi, Gambia and South Africa — in withdrawing from the ICC.
Tanzania, Nigeria and Senegal, however, expressed their support for the court during the General Assembly meeting. Those affirmations by influential states suggest that a large-scale African pullout from the court is not imminent.
The Kenyan diplomat, on his part, made clear that Nairobi views the court with great scepticism, due in large part to its now-suspended proceedings against President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto.
The Kenyan representative said the integrity of the ICC’s investigations in regard to those cases had been called into question because of allegations of bribing of witnesses.
The ICC operates in accordance with “lower standards” than those of national courts, he added in a speech to the 193-nation body. Ambassador Amolo spoke during the review of the latest annual report of the Hague-based court.
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