President, Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ms Tina Intelmann, has called on the Nigerian Government to respect and fully comply with its Rome Statute obligations.
This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the court, following the inability of Nigeria to execute an arrest warrant on Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir, who visited Abuja from July 14 to July 16.
Al-Bashir, who was indicted by the ICC for alleged war crimes in Darfur, reportedly left Abuja on Tuesday morning after attending the Abuja + 12 AU Summit on HIV and AIDS.
He is accused of allegedly masterminding genocide and other atrocities during the Sudan’s Darfur conflict, charges which he has repeatedly denied.
In her letter to the Foreign Minister of Nigeria, Mr Olugbenga Ashiru, the ICC president reminded Nigeria of its commitment as a State Party to the Rome Statute, to cooperate with the court.
“The Assembly had repeatedly expressed concerns regarding the negative consequences that failure to comply with decisions of the court had on the court’s capability to carry out its mandate.’’
The ICC president deplored the visits of persons subject to arrest warrants of the court to any State Party.
Intelmann appealed to State Parties and other stakeholders to join efforts to prevent instances of non-cooperation.
Ashiru had defended Nigeria’s inaction on Al-bashir, citing AU’s position of non-cooperation with ICC on the issue.
The minister thad said hat Sudan’s president was in Nigeria on AU’s invitation, adding that Nigeria’s commitment to the AU remained firm.
