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By Staff Writers, teleSUR
teleSUR
Monday, Oct 12, 2015
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| Judges deliver a ruling at the ICC | Photo: Reuters |
The decision comes after the government failed to detain Sudan's president earlier in June.
A South African deputy minister revealed Sunday that the government is planning to leave the International Criminal Court due to criticism over the failure of Johannesburg to detain Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir.
The governing African National Council (ANC) accused the ICC of losing its direction and that it was an imperialist court.
The decision was announced by Obed Bapela during a party policy meeting.
"South Africa still holds the flag of human rights, we are not lowering it," he said, adding that powerful nations also trample human rights.
The ANC plans to withdraw South Africa from the court after following certain processes, which include reviewing the country's ICC membership in Parliament, where the party holds 60 percent of the seats.
It is believed the decision is related to events in June, when the Sudanese president visited the country.
Al-Bashir is accused of genocide and war crimes and is wanted by the ICC. The president was allowed to leave despite a court order to detain him.
Last week the government asked the ICC for more time to explain why it allowed this. But this weekend the ruling party resolved to leave the court.
"Many of these big countries are not members – the US is not a signatory. Actually, in the U.N. Security Council, of the five countries with veto powers, three are not signatories,” explained ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.
South Africa has explained that it acted in accordance to international law, since the country signed an agreement with the African Union which says sitting heads of state cannot be arrested.
Many critics believe that the ICC is biased against African nations, singling them out for prosecution, while Western leaders have launched wars and aided warring parties in different countries with impunity.
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