South Africa Announces Withdrawal From International Criminal Court
Reuters and The Associated Press both say they have seen a document, signed by South Africa’s foreign minister, declaring the country’s intent to withdraw. The AP reports that legislation to finalize the move has to pass South Africa’s parliament, but notes that passage of such a bill is likely.
Just days ago, Burundi became the first country ever to withdraw from the ICC. The country’s parliament overwhelmingly approved the proposal, and the president signed it into law on Tuesday.
That’s two ground-breaking moves to depart from the war crimes court in just one week. The AP notes there are concerns that more African countries will opt to leave the court given longstanding objections to the ICC’s focus on the continent — every person tried by the ICC has been African. (Other trials for war crimes and genocide have been carried out by ad hoc tribunals pulled together for a specific conflict, such as those created for Yugoslavia and Cambodia.)
More: South Africa Announces Withdrawal From International Criminal Court : The Two-Way : NPR