Africa 'must change perception of ICC'

2011-11-10 07:54

The Hague - Burkina Faso's president Blaise Compaore said on Wednesday that Africa's perception of the International Criminal Court as a tool of Western imperialism needed to change.

"Many African countries believe that the ICC was a tool from the Western world against African countries," Compaore said during a conference at the world war crimes court in The Hague.

"There's a perception to be changed," said Compaore, arguing that awareness of the court's usefulness should be raised in Africa.

The ICC was created through the adoption of its founding statute at a Rome conference in July 1998, which Burkina Faso ratified in 2004.

The ICC is the world's only independent, permanent tribunal with the jurisdiction to try genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

All cases opened by the court so far relate to crimes committed in Africa and the United States is not one of the court's 119 state parties.

"We all know the majority of crises take place in Africa," said Compaore, adding: "When there are thousands of victims, it is impossible to handle for our national jurisdictions."

Several African heads of state and even the head of the African Union's executive body Jean Ping have criticised the ICC as an institution applying double standards.

The ICC has issued arrest warrants against two sitting heads of state since it became operational in 2002, Sudan's Omar al-Bashir and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, who was slain last month.

Compaore came to power in the impoverished west African nation in a 1987 coup that killed his long-time comrade-in-arms and then president Thomas Sankara.

- AFP