In a surprising turn of events, South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has announced its intention to repeal the country’s membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC), for the second time. The decision was made during a weekend meeting of the ANC’s national executive committee and comes just weeks after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had previously expressed support for South Africa’s continued membership in the ICC, revealed the party’s decision to reporters during a state visit by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
“The governing party, the African National Congress, has taken that decision that it is prudent that South Africa should pull out of the ICC, largely because of the manner in which the ICC has been seen to be dealing with (these) type of problems,” Ramaphosa stated, without providing further details.
This decision comes just two days after South Africa’s parliament announced that it would abandon a seven-year-long legislative process to withdraw from the ICC’s Rome Statute. The process was halted after the ANC reversed its earlier decision in December to remain in the ICC and attempt to effect changes from within.
The recent arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, has further complicated the situation. Putin had already been invited by President Ramaphosa to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in South Africa in August, and the arrest warrant would require South Africa to hand him over to the ICC if he sets foot in the country.
“He has been invited by President Ramaphosa and Russia has indicated attendance,” said Anil Sooklal, South Africa’s official in charge of the relationship with BRICS countries.
The Kremlin has stated that Putin will decide whether to attend the summit in person closer to the time, which could potentially trigger the parliamentary process to withdraw from the ICC once again. However, the process is expected to be lengthy and unlikely to be concluded before the BRICS summit takes place.
South Africa’s membership in the ICC has been a contentious issue within the ANC, with some arguing that it undermines the country’s sovereignty and that the ICC disproportionately targets African countries. However, proponents of ICC membership argue that it is an important institution for holding leaders accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The decision to repeal South Africa’s membership in the ICC is expected to face criticism from human rights groups and the international community, who view the court as a vital tool in promoting global justice and accountability for heinous crimes. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and what implications it may have for South Africa’s relationship with the ICC and the broader international community.
