Museveni says ICC a “bunch court”, assures Al-Bashir of safe exit from Uganda
May 12, 2016 (KAMPALA) -Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday described the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a “bunch court” to be ignored by African leaders.
Museveni made the remarks after he was sworn-in for another five years as president.
His remarks appears to have been made support of his Sudan’s Omer al-Bashir, who was indicted in 2009 by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against for crimes allegedly committed in Sudan’s Darfur region.
Referring to Al-Bashir as his “best neighbour”, Museveni downplayed the ICC’s case against the Sudanese president.
The Ugandan leader has, in the past, been too critical of the Hague-based court, which he accuses of allegedly having an against African heads of states.
A group of human rights entities, in a statement issued Thursday, said Uganda must respect legal obligation to arrest al-Bashir. These bodies include, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) and African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS).
“We are deeply concerned about declarations made today by President Museveni expressing his intention not to support or cooperate with the ICC. The situation is clear: Ugandan authorities should comply with their legal obligations under the Rome Statute, to which Uganda is a State Party, and arrest and surrender Al Bashir to the ICC,” partly read’s the statement.
The presidents of Zimbabwe, Chad, South Africa, Niger, Mali, South Sudan, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Sri-Lankan and many more representatives from the African continent and ambassadors attended the inauguration of Museveni’s event.
(ST)