Let International Criminal Court do its work

The victims of every nation deserve access to justice, and the ICC provides a forum for those who have nowhere else to turn.

It would be a shame if this weekend’s Addis meeting were to undermine the court’s potential before it can get off the ground.

The true leaders of this continent have nothing to fear about the court.

Africa needs strong institutions, good governance and the protection of human rights to tackle the many challenges it faces.

The court can play an important role, but only if the world lets it. So as they meet this week, it is hoped African states will do just that — let the court do its work.

Prof Maathai, a Nobel Peace laureate, is a co-founder of the Nobel Women’s Initiative and the Greenbelt Movement. Prof Soyinka, a Nobel literature laureate, is the author of numerous novels, plays, essays, films and poetry collections. Archbishop Tutu, who has also won the Nobel Peace prize, chaired his country’s truth and reconciliation commission.