Kenya intensifies diplomatic push to shelve Uhuru Kenyatta’s International Criminal Court case

By Alex Ndegwa

Kenya: Kenya has stepped up diplomatic talks to rally support for the petition urging the UN Security Council to suspend the ICC cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

The UNSC intervention gained urgency following last Friday’s ruling by ICC Appeals judges requiring Ruto to attend all his trial sessions and indications the prosecution could press similar requirement for the President who has been excused from continuous attendance.

Sunday, Kenya’s Ambassador to the UN Macharia Kamau said consultations to secure support for deferral of Kenyan cases have been ongoing and will intensify this week.

“Interactive dialogue with the African Union’s core group of ministers is scheduled on Thursday,” Kamau told The Standard Sunday.

Apart from African foreign ministers, others attending the talks are the continent’s representatives in the 15-member UNSC. Morocco, Rwanda and Togo are Africa’s representatives among the ten non-permanent members of the UNSC.

Kenya is lobbying to have the African Union backed petition considered by the UNSC, which has powers to sanction suspension of ICC proceedings on grounds of threats to peace and security.

 Of keen interest in Kenya’s push are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, the permanent veto-wielding members. A rejection by any one of the big five would sink Kenya’s petition if it came up for a vote.

Azerbaijan, whose UN Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev is serving as council president this October, is central to call a meeting of the council on the issue if it materialises this month.

Next month China, which is sympathetic to Kenya’s cause, will hold the presidency.

The AU has demanded that the UNSC takes a decision before November 12, when President Uhuru’s trial is due to start in The Hague. Ruto’s trial started last month and is due to take a break on November 1.