By FELIX OLICK
Kenya: Former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka (right) has criticised a decision by African Union to lobby for referral of The Hague cases facing President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto to Kenya.
Kalonzo said the resolution passed by African leaders is not binding to United Nations Security Council as he recalled the shuttle diplomacy he spearheaded in 2011.
“I am sure Kenyans remember the infamous shuttle diplomacy I undertook and the AU had a similar resolution, which was carried to New York but the security council had its way of looking at it,” he said yesterday.
In an apparent opposition to terminate the on-going two cases at International Criminal Court (ICC), the former VP maintained that the ‘era of impunity is over’.
He said even as African leaders push for integration, the continent cannot afford reversals. “Our country would be celebrating 50 years since independence. We have to ask ourselves the hard question: Do we move forward or do we move backwards?” Kalonzo posed.
“Kenyans know in the matter of human rights and the fight against impunity, you cannot afford to go backwards,” he added.
Kalonzo, who spoke after paying a courtesy call to Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, however, said he was happy with the AU resolution to have an emergency military force.
Before their acrimonious falling out with the so-called G7 political grouping, Kalonzo spearheaded referral of the cases against Uhuru and Ruto to Kenya.
However, the move to bring back the cases to Kenya was not endorsed by UN.
African leaders resolved to lobby at UN Security Council again to have the cases referred back to Kenya.
The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States.
