confidentially speaking
The Africa Confidential Blog
Turbulent times for international justice
Blue Lines
A turbulent few weeks for international justice. First, Sudan’s
President Omer el Beshir arrived in South Africa on 13
June for the African Union summit despite his indictment by the
International Criminal Court for genocide. He left barely two days
later as the Pretoria High Court deliberated on the South African
government’s legal obligations to arrest him.
It has emerged that foreign ministers at the AU summit had
earlier called for the ICC’s charges to be dropped against both Kenya’s
Deputy President William Ruto and Omer el Beshir. They also
called for
the UN Security Council to withdraw the referral of Sudan to the ICC.
Last December, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the UNSC that
she had 'hibernated' work on the Darfur investigation due to lack of
international cooperation.
And on 20 June, British officials arrest Rwanda's
spy chief
General Emmanuel Karenzi Karake on a Spanish arrest
warrant issued
under European Union rules. Rwanda condemned his arrest on war crimes
charges as outrageous, given his role in the military force that
stopped the genocide.
Britain had little choice once Spain had submitted the warrant
but to detain Karenzi and test the charges in court. If they are as
weak as Kigali and others maintain, the court will throw them out and
Karenzi will be on his way back to Kigali. If the London court finds
merit in them and approves Karenzi’s extradition for trial in Spain,
yet another politically charged case will be in the making.