The Untold Stories: Is ICC Selective or Selecting?
The African Heads of State gathered recently in the Ethiopian Capital or call it the African Capital because of the historical ties with the African de-colonisation that saw total political emancipation of the African continent after Nelson Mandela was finally freed from the jail in 1994.
African Union(AU) stands for the Unity of the fragmented states of Africa which have been impoverished by not only the lack of skills to transform their respective economies but also conflicts, corruption, bad governance , looting, and other external factors. I will not waste much time on the latter factor which many African leaders and their sympathizes or accomplices in all their ugly atrocities against their own people always put forward as the main factor that Africa still lags behind in development compared to other continents.Why then these so called Excellences so crying foul for being indicted by ICC?
They have called it selective but to the best of my understanding this Court is selecting the sharks from the ocean because these sharks are not only dangerous to the fish family but they are also dangerous to the whole ocean. Africa is potentially gifted with all sorts of wealth in terms of minerals, fresh water, good weather, just mention it, you will find it on the continent, but it is also the least developed continent on the planet Earth. While these Excellences are busy bargaining for their colleagues or the survival of their jobs, they don't show any concerns for almost 2000 lives that perished at the hands of these so called honourables in Kenya after the 2007disputed elections. Interestingly some people have argued that these regrettable massacres in Kenya should be left to Kenya to decide. What a shame and indifference to human life but most importantly it is a reflection that Africans cannot manage their own affairs. Imagine that some people are comparing what happened in Iraq with what African leaders are doing to their own people. Someone makes an argument that when should the ICC announce when it will try Messrs Bush and Blair of USA and UK respectively for the Iraq mass murders. Whereas what happened and still happening in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the World are regrettable, never the less , they should not be compared to the African leaders who have denied, killed, or committed crimes against humanity against their own people.
Neither should the above crimes of Bush and Blair exonerate any responsibility of denying democracy, Human Rights, Freedom of Press, Assembly and other basic rights that are alienable to human beings regardless of race, tribe, sex, and religion.
Now we sink below rock bottom into a sea of vomit and blood, peopled by horrible creatures whose consideration for poor human beings is less than zero. Yes I am talking about those so called leaders who wear good suits, neck tie themselves, fly to Addis to talk about scrapping or reforming ICC for the sake of two criminals or call them suspects so that I'm not accused of pre-empting the principle of innocence . Why some African leaders stoop so low that they don't consider the lives of their own people as equal to theirs?
Should the isolated case of Bush or Blair be considered a principle of excuse? These leaders who have killed their own people to an extend of some being considered Pinochet of Africa now waste time and the taxpayers money deliberating to be exonerated from the worst crimes against humanity. Take for instance the President of Rwanda whose mass murders have crossed the borders into another neighbouring Congo, now becomes the first person to say Amicus curiae to the ICC. Kagame's method of murder is not only known by his own people who have actually become speechless in their own country but also the international community have already published overwhelming evidence against him. Should now this man come out and say please hold on the ICC is selective?
What an abuse of words! I will argue that ICC is not selective but rather selecting the sharks from the ocean so that stability and peace reins on the continent. I should therefore advise these African leaders to open the doors of democracy, freedom of speech, free the media and stop the killing their own people, then there will be no need to go to the ICC. A word to the leaders of Kenya, go to the ICC clear your names because what your colleagues are telling you is not only legally wrong but also morally wrong and unsustainable . You know very well that after the disputed elections in 2007, almost 2000 people lost their lives, who killed them? Why Kenya refused to investigate these murders? Therefore don't be confused or misled by your colleagues who after their term of office will be tied and flown to The Hague. Indeed, that's why some have refused to democratise their respective countries.
Dear African Heads of State, ICC was established for the poor people whom you denied fundamental human rights not for you the sharks, therefore leave alone this honourable court, it will not go for you if you are a good president, why don't you ask yourselves why Mandela is not indicted by ICC? Hands off ICC!
Jacqueline Umurungi
Brussels.
