South Africa might quitt ICC over Bashir arrest call

Source: GhanaWeb-News.com  -  Cape Town: South Africa threatened today to withdraw from the International Criminal Court after an outcry over the government's refusal to detain Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on genocide charges.

Bashir flew out of Pretoria last week after attending a meeting of the African Union despite a court order that barred his departure, sparking international criticism of President Jacob Zuma's government.

Because of what it considers as bias against Africa, the AU has previously urged member states not to cooperate with the ICC.

"The ANC reserves the right to raise these reform packages and if rejected we will have no alternative but to review our membership of the ICC," said Obed Bapela, deputy minister of traditional affairs.

In parliament, the ANC made its case clear, claiming that because Bashir was attending a meeting of the AU he was entitled to immunity, in the same way heads of state received immunity from arrest in the United States when they attended the United Nations general assembly.

Rather former US president George Bush and former British prime minister Tony Blair should be arrested for war crimes over Iraq, and that leaders of Israel -- which has also not joined the ICC -- should be prosecuted for offences against the Palestinians.
The Sudanese leader has continually denied the ICC charges he committed atrocities in Sudan's troubled western Darfur region.