'No agreement' as showdown looms on UN deferral resolution
President Kenyatta (Right) and Deputy President Ruto (Left). Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi, the UN security council's president for November, told reporters at the UN that "there is no agreement on the thrust of the resolution" to defer the proceedings against the two for one year. Photo/FILE
What you need to know:
- The resolution, which requires nine votes for approval, appears likely to be defeated if it is brought to a vote in the 15-member council.
"No agreement" exists among members of the United Nations Security Council as a resolution on deferring Kenya's ICC cases heads for a showdown, the council's president said on Tuesday.
Rwanda is pressing for a vote to take place on Friday, its UN ambassador said.
Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi, the council's president for November, told reporters at the UN that "there is no agreement on the thrust of the resolution" to defer the proceedings against President Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto for one year.
China itself supports the resolution sponsored by Rwanda and two other African countries on the council, Ambassador Liu added.
NINE VOTES REQUIRED FOR APPROVAL
"We fully understand the contingencies behind such a request," he said, citing the need to maintain peace and security in Africa.
"We believe the concerns of Africa should be respected," Ambassador Liu added.
The resolution, which requires nine votes for approval, appears likely to be defeated if it is brought to a vote in the 15-member council.
The United States, Britain and France are opposed to a deferral of the cases. Some developing countries on the council have also not been swayed by arguments in support of the resolution advanced by the African Union.
