South Africa to quit war crimes court: justice minister

 

International Criminal Court (ICC)

Pretoria:South Africa is pulling out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) because its obligations are inconsistent with laws giving sitting leaders diplomatic immunity, Justice Minister Michael Masutha said on Friday.

Pretoria said last year it planned to leave the ICC after it was criticized for ignoring a court order to arrest Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who is accused of genocide and war crimes, when he visited last year. Bashir has denied the accusations.

"The Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act, 2002, is in conflict and inconsistent with the provisions of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act, 2001," Masutha told a media conference in the capital Pretoria