Africa still needs ICC to scare rogue leaders

African Union leaders’ summit in Ethiopia last week resolved that Africa should withdraw from the Rome Statute.

They also resolved not to send peacekeeping missions to Burundi.

The two decisions were wrong on a number of grounds.

Africa has bigger issues which affect hundreds of millions of Africans which the leaders should have discussed.

Many Africans do not support what the leaders are pushing for. We still need ICC to protect us from rogue leaders. How shall we turn to African courts to solve Africa’s problem knowing well what we are capable of doing?

Finally, corruption has of late become Africa’s second name. Establishing a court in Africa is laying ground for impunity of the highest order. We can therefore predict how the African court would handle serious cases.

African leaders are busy cheating Africans that someone is busy discriminating the continent on ICC matter yet we know that all problems in Africa are created by our leaders. Bad governance, corruption, poverty, inequality and high crime levels are challenges Africa faces because of our leaders.

{Owino Ooko, Kakamega}