Ruling party wants SA to quit ICC citing 'unfair treatment'
4 Min Read
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa highlights that the decision was reached "largely" because of what is regarded as the ICC's unfair treatment of certain countries.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses a press conference after the G20 Compact with Africa conference at the Chancellery in Germany on August 27, 2021. (Reuters)
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Tuesday his ruling ANC party had determined that the country should quit the International Criminal Court, which recently issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March, meaning Pretoria, due to host the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa bloc summit this year, would have to arrest him on arrival.
It accused President Putin of being responsible for the alleged "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children and also issued a warrant against Lvova-Belova on similar charges.
"Yes, the governing party... has taken that decision that it is prudent that South Africa should pull out of the ICC," Ramaphosa said during a press conference co-hosted with the visiting President of Finland Sauli Niinisto.
Ramaphosa went on to say that the decision, which comes ahead of a meeting of the African National Congress (ANC), was reached "largely" because of what is regarded as the court's "unfair treatment" of certain countries.
"We would like this matter of unfair treatment to be properly discussed, but in the meantime, the governing party has decided once again that there should be a pull-out," he said.
Since its inception, the ICC has often been biased as far as the investigation of crimes and the prosecution of individuals is concerned.
Commenting on whether South Africa would detain Putin, Ramaphosa said, "That matter is under consideration".
On his account, his party's Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula earlier assured that "Putin can come anytime in this country."
"This ICC does not serve the interest of all but the interest of a few," Mbalula told a separate press conference.
Due to the fact that it would take more than a year from the date it gives notice for the withdrawal to take effect, South Africa will still be required to arrest Putin should he attend the BRICS summit in August.
The procedure involves "a rigorous parliamentary process, we would still be bound by our ICC obligations for 12 months post communication of our withdrawal," said Nicole Fritz director of the non-profit Helen Suzman Foundation rights group as quoted by AFP.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ramaphosa reiterated that South Africa has "adopted this stance of being non-aligned is to ensure that we are able, as a country to play a role in helping conflict to come to an end" in reference to the war in Ukraine.
He said he talked to Putin several times and "my message has been clear. There needs to be negotiation."
Ramaphosa, who last year accused NATO of the war in Ukraine, added he respected Finland's decision to join NATO.
"It's within Finland's right to decide to join NATO. We respect that and we accept that," said Ramaphosa as he hosted his Finnish counterpart who is in South Africa for a three-day state visit.
Not an isolated incident
It is worth noting that it is not the first time South Africa aimed at withdrawing from the ICC.
It made an effort in 2016 in response to a conflict that arose during the visit of then-Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir for an African Union summit. Despite the fact that the then-leader was wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes, it refused to arrest him.
However, the contentious decision to leave was overturned when a domestic court determined that doing so would have violated the Constitution.
The West, led by the US, has orchestrated wars all across the Global South that have caused millions of children to go hungry, malnourished, displaced, and even killed, including in Yemen where the US-led blockade has caused over two million children to suffer from acute malnutrition.
Yet, these issues have never been taken into consideration at the Hague-based ICC.
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