SA hits back in row over al-Bashir

SOUTH Africa threatened yesterday 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.

Al-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.

In a heated parliamentary debate, the lead speaker for the ANC said South Africa would press for reforms of the ICC, accusing it of losing credibility because countries such as the United States had failed to place themselves under the control of the Hague-based organisation.

“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,” Deputy Minister of Traditional Affairs Obed Bapela said.

The DA had accused the government of a serious breach of the constitution by allowing al-Bashir to leave the country.

The South African court which called for al-Bashir to be prevented from leaving the country has given the government until tomorrow to explain why it defied the court order.

In parliament, the ANC said that because al-Bashir had been attending a meeting of the AU he was entitled to immunity, in the same way heads of state received immunity from arrest in the US when they attended the United Nations General Assembly.

“We are not going to use the AU as a platform to arrest leaders -- that will never happen,” Bapela said, adding that international criticism of South Africa’s action showed contempt for the continent.

This line was supported by the Economic Freedom Fighters, who said 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. – AFP