CICC urges Ethiopia to sign and ratify Rome Staute

Twelve African member organizations of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) met last week in Addis Ababa, for a regional strategy meeting to discuss how to increase the ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute throughout sub-Saharan Africa. CICC called on the Ethiopian government to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a bid to play its role against crimes of international concern. (13-JUNE-07)
 
This article, bylined Elizabeth E., was first published 9 June in the Ethiopian Reporter. It has been edited for republication here by HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz.

Muhammed Ndifuna, right, national coordinator of HURINET Uganda, was among the delegates to the two-day meeting, in which strategies to enhance outreach programmes in the countries where the Court is currently active were also discussed.

-Complimentary to national criminal jurisdictions
Mr. William R. Pace, left, the convener of CICC told The Reporter that Ethiopia, the seat of the AU and various UN organizations, must demonstrate its compliance with international humanitarian laws and support the principles of the Rome Statue. ICC is a permanent institution and has a power to exercise its jurisdiction over persons for the most serious crimes of international concern, as referred to in statute, and shall be complementary to national criminal jurisdictions. The jurisdiction and functioning of the court shall be governed by the provisions of the Rome Statute.

-ICC´s initial success will be determined in Africa
Mr. Pace said that the CICC lauds the enthusiasm with which many of the African states have participated in the establishment of the International Criminal Court, serving as key negotiators for the Rome Statute that created the ICC. According to him, 29 African states have ratified the statue. The high interest of the African states in the ICC was also demonstrated by three African states, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, requesting the ICC prosecutor to investigate crimes committed on the territory of their respective states. The situation in Darfur has been also referred to the ICC by the UN Security Council. “The initial success of the new International Criminal Court will be determined in Africa,” he said, adding that all experts recognize that the ICC cannot succeed without the strong cooperation and support of African states and the AU.

… genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes …
Founded in 1995, CCIC is a worldwide network of over 2,000 NGOs that promote a fair, effective and independent international criminal court. It has played a key role in the establishment of ICC. The ICC is the first permanent international judicial body capable of trying individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so, Mr. Pace added.