(Johannesburg) – Over 45 civil society organizations from close to 30 African countries wrote today to African member countries of the International Criminal Court (ICC) urging their renewed support for the court’s efforts to combat grave international crimes. The letter was sent on prior to the 18th summit of the African Union (AU), which will take place on January 29 and 30 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The organizations wrote that it was of crucial importance for African governments and the AU to provide concrete support for the ICC, particularly given the challenges facing the court and the current focus of its investigations in Africa.
African countries should work toward improved relations between the ICC and the AU, enforce the court’s decisions, respect their obligations under the ICC Statute, and support prosecutions of international crimes before their national courts. The election of a highly qualified African, Fatou Bensouda, as the new ICC prosecutor was a positive development, the organizations said.
“The ICC needs full cooperation from states to effectively curb impunity for the worst international crimes,” said Oby Nwankwo, Executive Director of the Civil Resource Development and Document Centre in Nigeria. “It is high time African governments and the AU put themselves on the right side of history and support justice for victims, not abusive leaders.”
The organizations that signed the letter are:
- Action of Christian Activists for Human Rights in Shabunda (ACADHOSHA), Democratic Republic of Congo
- African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights (RADDHO), Senegal
- African Association for Human Rights (ASADHO), Democratic Republic of Congo
- Amnesty International, Ghana
- Amnesty International, Kenya
- Amnesty International, Mali
- Amnesty International, Senegal
- Amnesty International, Sierra Leone
- Amnesty International, Togo
- Amnesty International, Zimbabwe
- Amuria District Development Agency (ADDA), Uganda
- Association of Human and Prisoner Rights (ADHUC), Republic of Congo
- Association of Victims of Crimes of the Regime of Hissene Habre, Chad
- Benin Coalition for the ICC, Benin
- Botswana Centre for Human Rights (DITSHWANELO), Botswana
- Burkinabe Movement for Human and Peoples' Rights. MBEJUS, Burkina Faso
- Burundi Coalition for the ICC, Burundi
- Cameroon Coalition for the ICC, Cameroon
- Central African Republic Coalition for the ICC, Central African Republic
- Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law, Sierra Leone
- Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Malawi
- Children Education Society (CHESO), Tanzania
- Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), Nigeria
- Club of Friends of Congolese Law, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Coalition for Justice and Accountability (COJA), Sierra Leone
- Coalition for the International Criminal Court, with offices in Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Coalition of Eastern NGOs (CENGOS), Nigeria
- Congolese Coalition for Transitional Justice (CCJT), Democratic Republic of Congo
- Congolese Initiative for Justice and Peace (ICJP), Democratic Republic of Congo
- Human Rights & Advocacy Network for Democracy (HAND), Sudan
- Human Rights Network-Uganda (HURINET), Uganda
- Human Rights Watch, with offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa
- International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Kenya
- International Crime in Africa Programme (ICAP), Institute for Security Studies (ISS), South Africa
- Ivorian Coalition for the ICC, Côte d’Ivoire
- League for Peace, Human Rights and Justice (LIPADHOJ), Democratic Republic of Congo
- National Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA), Nigeria
- Network of Human Rights Associations from Sud Kivu (RADHOSKI), Democratic Republic of Congo
- Nigeria Coalition on the ICC (NCICC), Nigeria
- Speak Human Rights & Environmental Initiative, Mauritius
- Southern Africa Litigation Centre, South Africa
- Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), Zambia
- Synergy of Congolese NGOs for Victims (SYCOVI), Democratic Republic of Congo
- Synergy of Women for the Victims of Sexual Violence (SFVS), Democratic Republic of Congo
- Uganda Coalition on the International Criminal Court, Uganda
- Uganda Victims Foundation (UVF), Uganda
- West African Bar Association (WABA), Nigeria
