The Sunday News
Khartoum — Sudan urged African members of the International Criminal Court on Friday to follow South Africa in withdrawing from the ICC, insisting it was a “new colonial tool” targeting only African leaders.
South Africa announced earlier it would withdraw from The Hague-based ICC after a dispute last year when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited the country despite an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Darfur. Authorities in South Africa refused to arrest him, saying that as a head of state he had immunity.
South Africa would be the first country to leave the court formally. Welcoming South Africa’s decision, which came weeks after Burundi said it would leave the court, Bashir’s office urged other African member nations to withdraw as well.
“The presidency of the republic… calls on African leaders and the people of Africa who are still members of the ICC to take a collective step in withdrawing from the ICC,” a presidency statement said.
It said such a withdrawal would amount to implementing a decision taken at a recent African Union meeting at Kigali that described the ICC as a “new colonial tool that targeted the African continent and its leaders”. — AFP
