War crimes prosecutor calls for conviction in Congo sexual slavery case
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday called on judges to convict a former Congo military leader on charges ranging from murder and rape to conscripting child soldiers and sexual slavery. “The evidence shows that Bosco Ntaganda personally committed crimes,” Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said, in closing remarks in Ntaganda’s […]
Impact of the Bemba Acquittal Already Seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The return of Jean-Pierre Bemba to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday has once again generated attention on the militia leader-turned-politician. His return is less than two months after judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) acquitted him for the rape, murder, and pillage committed by troops in his Movement for the Liberation […]
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Seeks ICC Intervention in Repatriation of Stolen Assets
President Muhammadu Buhari has solicited the intervention of the International Criminal Court, ICC, to press it upon member countries not to obstruct the repatriation of illicit funds warehoused in their countries. President Buhari who made the appeal on Tuesday while delivering a keynote address at the solemn hearing to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the […]
ICC Acquittal of Form DR Congo VP Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo a Blow to Victims
Following the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s decision to acquit Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, the former Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Solomon Sacco, Head of the International Justice team at Amnesty International, said: “The decision to acquit Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo is an important reminder that international justice is only possible if all suspects receive […]
The Real Problem Behind South Africa’s Refusal to Arrest Al-Bashir
Last week the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled that South Africa erred in its decision not to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during his controversial visit to the country in 2015. Two South African courts had come to the same conclusion, and so the decision of the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II on […]
South Africa broke rules by failing to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
War crimes judges have ruled that South Africa flouted its duties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2015 by failing to arrest visiting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Cuno Tarfusser, the presiding judge, said on Thursday that Pretoria’s inaction was “contrary” to the court’s guiding Rome Statute and prevented it from prosecuting Bashir on 10 […]
Talking Human Rights in the New Gambia
“This is the new Gambia,” Jobe, a Gambian taxi driver told me, as I arrived in the country for the first time since the inauguration of President Adama Barrow. Three months after erstwhile strongman Yahya Jammeh left Gambian soil, the capital, Banjul, is buzzing and Gambia, known as the “smiling coast of Africa,” is still […]
UN chief urges all sides to restore calm in aftermath of deadly attack on southern airbase
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is deeply concerned about the military escalation at the Brak al-Shati air base in southern Libya and calls on all parties to exercise restraint and restore calm, the UN chief’s spokesman said today. “[The Secretary-General] is particularly disturbed by the high number of fatalities as well as reports of summary […]
141 people killed in Libya’s Brak al-Shat airbase attack
An attack on an airbase in southern Libya has killed at least 141 people, mostly soldiers loyal to renegade General’s Khalifa Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), a spokesman for his forces said. LNA’s Ahmad al-Mismari told the AFP news agency on Friday that members of a militia loyal to the UN-backed Government of National […]
Sudan’s Bashir declines to attend Saudi summit with President Donald Trump
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has decided not to take up an invitation from Saudi Arabia to attend an Islamic summit at which US President Donald Trump will be guest of honour. Mr Bashir, who cited “private reasons”, is wanted for alleged war crimes in Darfur and the US was reportedly unhappy about his attendance. Sudan […]
