Kenya bid for African court supported

ADDIS ABABA

Kenya’s bid for an African court to hear cases of crimes against humanity has received the backing of Mauritania.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz said formation of an African version of the International Criminal Court is the way to go.

President Abdelaziz who is also the outgoing African Union (AU) chairman termed dropping of charges against President Uhuru Kenyatta by the ICC as victory for Africa.

He spoke during the 24th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday.

“We need to operationalise the African Court of Justice so it can take up such cases,” said President Abdelaziz who later handed the AU chairmanship to Zimbwabe’s Robert Mugabe.

Last year, the AU resolved that no sitting president should be prosecuted by the ICC.

However, Kenya remains the only country that has so far signed the protocol adopted at last year’s AU Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

The Summit’s position on the ICC and the establishment of an African court with an expanded mandate will be known today when the resolutions will be read out.

Kenya was expected to lobby more countries to sign the protocol to expand the mandate of the African Court of Justice during the Friday afternoon session of heads of state and government and foreign affairs ministers.

The protocol must be ratified by at least 15 member states to become effective. Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed signed the protocol on Wednesday ahead of possible ratification by Parliament.

And given that AU treaties take an average five years to come into force, Kenya will need to work harder to get the support of 14 other countries to ratify the protocol.

Some 12 MPs in the Kenyan delegation are helping in the lobbying.