Johannesburg - The International Criminal Court (ICC) is
no longer a useful organisation, the ANC said on Sunday, in the wake of a court
application to compel the government to arrest Sudanese President Omar
al-Bashir.
"The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the
African National Congress holds a view that the… ICC is no longer useful
for the purposes for which it was intended," said the ruling party in a
statement.
It described it as "a court of last resort for the
prosecution of crimes against humanity".
Earlier on Sunday, the High Court in Pretoria
granted an interim order preventing al-Bashir from leaving South Africa until
an application, that he be arrested and handed to the ICC, is heard.
Two warrants were issued by the ICC in 2009 and 2010 for
his arrest, to face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and
genocide.
Al-Bashir is in the country for the African Union summit
being held in Johannesburg on Sunday and Monday.
The application to compel the government to arrest
al-Bashir was brought by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) and is
currently being heard by Judge Hans Fabricius.
According to Caroline James, a lawyer with
SALC, South Africa was party to the Rome Statute and thus obliged to carry
out the arrest.
The ANC said those ICC statutes compelling all UN member
countries to sign the Rome Statute should be reviewed.
“Countries, mainly in Africa and Eastern Europe, who due
to their unwavering commitment to upholding human rights and universal
justice, have elected to be signatories to the ICC, continue to unjustifiably
bear the brunt of the decisions of the ICC with Sudan being the latest
example,” the ANC said.
News 24
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