Vice President Inonge Wina says Zambia still remains a member of the International Criminal Court.
Mrs Wina said the status of Zambia’s membership to the ICC has not changed.
She was speaking in Parliament Friday morning when answering a question from Bwana Mkubwa PF Member of Parliament Jonas Chanda during the Vice President’s Question Time.
Mrs Wina said the ICC is a creation of several countries around the world including Zambia and that nothing has changed in that regard.
Some African counties such as Gambia have followed South Africa in signalling their intention to exit the ICC accusing the court of having anti African agenda, after Burundi signaled its intention to leave the ICC.
According to the UK Guardian newspaper, the claim that the international criminal court unfairly targets Africans is gaining significant traction following announcements from Burundi and South Africa, who informed the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, of their decision to quit the court last week, making them the first countries to begin the year-long exit process in the court’s 18-year history.
Of the 10 cases being investigated by the court, 9 involve African countries, including all three trials. So far, ICC arrest warrants have only ever been issued for Africans. As a result, the court is facing what appears to be a coordinated revolt that risks destroying its legitimacy.
On Wednesday, gambia’s Information Minister Sheriff Bojang described the ICC as a court that is being used “for the persecution of Africans and especially their leaders” while ignoring crimes committed by the West.
He singled out the case of former British prime minister Tony Blair, who the ICC decided not to indict over the Iraq war.
“There are many Western countries, at least 30, that have committed heinous war crimes against independent sovereign states and their citizens since the creation of the ICC and not a single Western war criminal has been indicted.”
The withdrawal of Gambia, he said, “is warranted by the fact that the ICC, despite being called International Criminal Court, is in fact an International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans”.
we also need to go that way and handle our own issues locally and logically, our judicial systems have the capacity to handle our internal problems
Lets also leave it bane. ICC is a kangaroo court that is just aimed at demonizing third world leaders. The moment an American or British prime minister will be indicted before it is the time to will gain credibility, for now it is just the “some animals are more equal” court.
George Bush and Tony Blair have killed more people than any of the people they have indicted before this Kangaroo court.
ZAMBIA HAS A JUSICIAL SYSTEM YES BUT NOT A FAIR ONE. IT IS CORRUPT AND ROTTEN TO THE CORE AND A SHAME.
Zambia was supposed to be first to leave, I didn’t even magine it was a member.
Zambia claims its the most peaceful nation.
Zambia holds prayers day for forgiving each other.
Our petition can still be head in local ConstCourt, but Zambian government are the judges.
We’ll be sending the Hungry Hyena and GBV to ICC soon!
@Saulosi, Bush and Blair did not kill there own citizen, but here in Africa, these Authoritarians target their own citizens. Though, they had used tax monies of their countries…
Only those leaders that have committed crimes against their own are quick to quit the ICC. Zambia must remain there to check on people like Amos Chanda and Kaiser Zulu Chama, Kampyongo, Frank Bwalya and Chishimba Kambwili who are who are turning one Ed Lu into a tyrant.
This cobweb you are weaving will certainly work against you Gentlemen. Do not think you will be there forever. Ask Kaunda, He will tell you a bit about both scenarios.
We needed to hear that clarification especially after the visit of Museveni who is successfully mentoring Lungu.
Lets stay. South Africa Gambia and Burundi are in the minority
What about IMF, it’s an open secret that they are also biased against African governments. Look at the bail out given to Greece,, I mean those greets were allowed to put their own conditions. There is no way that they could have agreed to increase the price of fuel by that much in the name of removing subsidies. Now see if Zambia swallowed this sh.. Hook and sinker. Africans enough of the half hearted publicity stunts! Why don’t you also withdraw from the IMF? Then we will be impressed. Not this nonsense
CORRECTION GREECE DANCED TO THE TUNE OF THE IMF SO GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT. THEY WERE REFUSED A BAILOUT ON THEIR TERMS UNTIL THEY AGREED TO THE IMF TERMS. YOU CANNOT GO TO THE BANK AND ASK FOR A HUGE LOAN AND SET YOUR OWN TERMS CAN YOU? PLUS THE IMF IS AWARE THAT ZAMBIA HAS HUGE EURO BONDS YET TO BE PAID.
The best is to leave, whites think they are more human than blacks. Why waste time over this good for nothing court presided by white racists.
My friend do a little reading. The Chief Prosecutor is even from the same Gambia ruled by a dictator who came to power through a coup. Is she a racist?
African leaders are irresponsible and current, they openly oppress their own citizens, they ignore their constitutions, and as if that’s not enough they bank the stolen wealth in Europe.
Their overwhelming evidence for all the evils that’s being committed in Africa.
IMF Will put up strict measures if you are known to be fiscally corrupt and irresponsible as in Zambias case.
WELL PUT GRINGO
I would really sympathise if the complaints were not coming from criminals. South Africa aside the other two are led my criminals. How can a criminal complain at you should also arrest the criminals or the other side. It’s non sense. And besides most of the cases at the ICC were taken there by the same Africans.
Zuma is a criminal who stole from his govt to build his palace at Nkhandla. The ANC Chief Whip, Mr Mthembu, is now calling for Zuma and his party executive to resign because they are all crooks.
How long??????
Who says Africa can’t get to the top of a list!
And for my serious friends that comment has a heavy dose of sarcasm while my tongue is firmly in my ‘cheek’.
Funny how you complain about these western countries, but when there is turmoil in your countries you don’t run to gambian or Ugandan embassies but to US or British embassy, and call upon them not just to look at the situation but act, have you seen how Syrians(moslems) are running to the western countries, instead of iran or Yemen, when we all know westerners and moslems ni spark, i remember how Rwandans complained that France did nothing, why should a leader be scared of icc if they are not abusing their citizens?
Ya, you are still members coz You are a bunch of embeciles who want to be under colonial rule, who can’t fight their own battles and have to call on their colonial masters to discipline them. Shame on you Inonge and the whole lot of you die hards who don’t want change. Africa has always been for Africans in which case Africans should be in charge of their own destine. No white country would call on any African nation to participate in the affairs of their continent. And as for you , you keep portraying your selves as inferior coz you can’t let go of your slave Masters. You are pathetic the whole of you and quite disgusting. If I were you Inonge I would not stand so proud to announce my enslavement. Am disgusted. Hats off to clever African leaders who are proud to belong to the African…
So long as you are prepertual beggers to the West and IMF, you are tied to this…
That we are still a member of the racist ICC shows our incompetence in understanding world affairs. This is a worthless institution meant to perpetuate white supremacy. America killed 3 million Vietnamese, same number of Koreans and even Iraqis and no one has appeared before the ICC for these massacres or war crimes. Can’t you people see what is happening in Syria? When American, British and French coalition planes kill civilians the act is simply referred to as collateral damage, but if others do the same Samantha Powers will be screaming at the United Nations about crimes against humanity. ICC is rubbish.
We can consider quitting the ICC too, but I think that can be done after it concludes the two Zambian cases before it.
1. The Namwala case (investigators are already appointed and coming to Zambia soon.
2. The HH petition case which HH claims is pending judgement on 11 November 2016.
These are already either in process (1) or they are almost concluded (2). Surely we can wait for these before we quit ICC?
ZAMBIA SHOULD NOT LEAVE THE ICC ESPECIALLY NOW. BECAUSE THE UPND/HH HAVE PROMISED TO TAKE PF TO ICC. NOW IF YOU LEAVE THE ICC. YOU KNOW HOW MANIPULATIVE UPND HAS BECOME. THERE WILL BE SCREAMING HEADLINES THAT “ECL HAS RUN AWAY FROM ICC TO SHIELD THE STOLEN VOTES”. WE NEED TO GIVE THEM ENOUGH ROPE TO CONTINUE HANGING THEMSELVES. PLEASE HH TAKE ECL TO ICC AS YOU PROMISED. VILAGERS IN KASEMPA HAVE BEEN TOLD BY HH THAT THE ICC WILL REMOVE ECL FROM STATE HOUSE AND INSTALL HH ON 1ST NOVEMBER 2016. WE ARE WITING.
Leaving ICC, is not a good idea for this country not until the majority appreciate the tenets of democracy
Political Leaders in Zambia to a larger extent are untouchable, Our legal system failed to handle Chiluba’s case and it was heard by London court…Believe you me, whenever,a Political leader especially from opposition are pounced on by law enforcement agencies, they claim it to be political victimization by the political party in power & as such, they enjoy certain immunity in disguise..So let Zambia remain part of ICC
Hissen Habre was tried and sentenced by an African court for his human rights violations in Chad.
Is Hissen Habre HH also?
We are still part of the ICC not until ka hh is sorted out by the court. He will close the door for Zambia as we will pull out there after