THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, ICC, Gambian Fatou Bensouda has been hit with a visa ban by the United States government over her office’s decision to probe alleged war crimes by Americans.
She has been investigating US forces and their allies in Afghanistan, a move that United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned last month and said could lead to sanctions on ICC officials.
Pompeo said in mid-March: “I am announcing a policy on those individuals directly responsible for any ICC investigations of US personnel. This includes persons who take or have taken action to request or further such an investigation.”
Investigations usually target nationals of countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute that set up the court which tries international crimes. The US is not a signatory to the statute.
Bensouda who has been prosecutor since 2012, becomes the first official to be targeted by the sanction. Her office, however, insists that as an independent impartial body, their work will proceed.
The statement attributed to her office read as follows: “We can confirm that the US authorities have revoked the Prosecutor’s visa for entry into the US. It is our understanding that should not have an impact on the Prosecutor’s travel to the US to meet her obligations to the UN, including regular briefings before the UN Security Council.
“The Office of the Prosecutor has an independent and impartial mandate under the Rome Statute of the ICC. The Prosecutor and her Office will continue to undertake that statutory duty with utmost commitment and professionalism, without fear or favour.”
Her office has routinely been accused of targeting Africans, a claim it has repeatedly rejected. Recent cases of acquittals have also cast a bad light on their work.
Under her reign, Burundi became the first country in history to successfully exit the ICC. The Gambia and South Africa had previously applied same but have since withdrawn their applications.
© AfricaNews
