(JollofNews) – A former Gambian chief prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (UNICTR) has called on the Gambian regime of President Yahya Jammeh not to turn its back on the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Justice Hassan Jallow said he was disappointed at the Gambia’s decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of ICC, which he described as an important court of last resort for victims of international crimes worldwide.
The government of Gambia on Tuesday announced that it was withdrawing from the ICC, accusing the world body of ignoring the “war crimes” of Western nations and seeking only to prosecute Africans.
“This action is warranted by the fact that the ICC, despite being called the International Criminal Court, is in fact an International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans,” Information Minister Sheriff Bojang said on state television.
But reacting to the decision, Justice Jallow who also served as Attorney General and
Minister of Justice of the Gambia and justice of the Supreme Court of the Gambia said African states and the Gambia, in particular, have very strongly supported the court and they should continue to do so, to ensure justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators of international crimes.
“The challenges which currently confront the ICC and state parties to the Rome Statute can, in my view, be resolved through a dialogue which will see the continued engagement of the Gambia and the rest of Africa with the ICC,” Justice Jallow said in a media statement.
He added that the ICC should now initiate a dialogue with the concerned state parties, and seek a resolution of their concerns in a way that will promote the cause of justice and accountability globally.
He appealed to the governments of the Gambia, Burundi and South Africa to reconsider decisions and retain their membership of the Rome Statute.
Gambia and other African Countries withdrawals are positive moves to make the UN & ICC to revisit and modify the role of ICC not for only African countries but for all UN member countries. Refer to what America, Britain, France , Israeli and Russia etc are doing across the world and not one person is ever been accounted for anything. That is sad and is time for Africans to stand up together for full independence and control of the African continent.