Skip to main content

African press review 14 October 2013

Attempts to stop Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta's trial at the ICC and Zimbabwe's indigenisation policy are among today's subjects ...

Advertising

"President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ICC fate rests with five nations". That's the main headline in this morning's Nairobi-based Standard and, just in case you haven't been following the story, Kenyatta is the Kenyan leader who could make history by becoming the first serving president to be tried before the International Criminal Court.

The trial, for alleged complicity in crimes against humanity committed after the 2007 presidential election, is due to open next month in the Dutch city of The Hague. But the African Union has called for deferral of the ICC cases facing President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

A decision on the call will ultimately be made by the 15-member UN Security Council, but a negative vote by any of the five nations with veto power . . . they are the USA, Britain, France, China and Russia . . . would, says The Standard, sink Kenya's quest to stop the Uhuru trial.

The Standard says that, among the veto-wielding nations, China and Russia are likely to support Nairobi, given their past sentiments that the cases should be referred. France and Britain are strong supporters of the ICC.

France is among the countries whose envoy to Kenya has yet to secure an appointment with President Kenyatta to present diplomatic papers. It is understood that the delay is a silent protest by Nairobi over France's ICC position.

US president Barack Obama skipped Kenya on his recent tour of Africa, citing the indictment of Kenyan leaders by the ICC.

According to The Daily Nation, the African Union's demand for the International Criminal Court to defer trials against Kenya's leadership is unlikely to get UN Security Council support but it does pose a dilemma for Western powers.

The Nation points out that Saturday's AU special summit stopped short of withdrawing from The Hague-based ICC, but asked for the deferral of the cases against the Kenyan President and his deputy so they can fulfil their official duties.

Amnesty International has criticised the African Union, saying the weekend declaration sends the wrong message, suggesting that politicians on the African continent place their political interests above those of victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

BusinessDay in South Africa also gives top billing to the Kenyan situation, with a main headline reading "AU move leaves ICC relations in tatters".

According to the Johannesburg-based financial daily, the African Union summit’s final declaration called for immunity of serving heads of state and government, saying their absence for court appearances "could undermine the sovereignty, stability and peace in that country and in other member states.…"

President Jacob Zuma was one of the 14 African leaders who attended the summit in Addis Ababa, as was President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, himself the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the ICC.

The immunity clause will cause raised eyebrows, says BusinessDay, because of fears that African presidents who face prosecution, will simply prolong their terms of office.

The AU denies it wants immunity for African leaders. Last week, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said that the ICC is the world’s first and only global court to adjudicate crimes against humanity. With scant regard for the presumption of innocence, the Nobel Peace Prize winner went on to say: "But leaders of Sudan and Kenya, who have inflicted terror and fear across their countries, are trying to drag Africa out of the ICC, allowing them freedom to kill, rape and inspire hatred without consequence."

And, staying with international justice, Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president who sold blood diamonds to fund rebel attacks in Sierra Leone, is to serve his 50-year prison term in Britain.

Taylor last week lost his appeal against the conviction for terrorism, murder, rape and the use of child soldiers during Sierra Leone's civil war between 1991-2002.

In London, Justice minister Jeremy Wright said the British government was happy to help because Taylor’s conviction was a "landmark moment for international justice".

On an altogether different issue, the Zimbabwean government is reported to have climbed down on its aggressive indigenisation thrust, saying it is now willing to discuss the implementation of the controversial policy with individual companies.

In his first public statement as new minister of youth, indigenisation and economic empowerment, Francis Nhema told captains of industry last week that his ministry was open to dialogue.

Nhema denied that the policy was one size fits all. He said the government did not want to drive companies out of business, and would help struggling enterprises, rather than penalising them by insisting they sell 51 per cent of shares to the Harare authorities.

This approach, notes BusinessDay, is a marked departure from the hardline policies pursued by Nhema's predecessor, Saviour Kasukuwere, who rattled the mining, tourism and financial services sectors by demanding controlling stakes for locals. This strategy had the net effect of scaring away investors and discouraging capital expansion.

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app

Share :
Page not found

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.