Press Releases:

August 3, 2009

ICTJ Hails African Civil Society Support for International Criminal Court

NEW YORK/CAPE TOWN, Aug. 3, 2009 -- African civil society has struck a powerful blow for justice and accountability by rallying in support of the International Criminal Court, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) said today.

"Civil society groups in South Africa and across the continent have taken a bold stand for international justice, and we salute them," said ICTJ Acting President Alex Boraine. "They have put Africa's leaders on notice that the continent's future will be based not on atrocity and oppression, but on justice, humanity and respect for the rule of law."

More than 160 civil society and human rights groups from more than 30 African countries have called on African states that are parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reaffirm their commitment and their obligation to cooperate with the court. The list of organizations continues to grow and will be updated regularly.

After an earlier campaign by civil society in South Africa, the South African government reversed course and affirmed that it would cooperate with the ICC in the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on Mar. 4 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.

"We call on all African states that are parties to the ICC to join the South African government in heeding the voice of African civil society and affirming their support for the International Criminal Court," Boraine said. "Africa was a vital force in creating the ICC, and the court can be a vital force in Africa for restoring the rights of victims of the world's worst crimes."

30 July 2009 Statement

African civil society urges African States Parties to the Rome Statute to reaffirm their commitment to the ICC

On 3 July 2009 the African Union (AU) agreed that its members should withhold cooperation from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the arrest and surrender of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The court issued its arrest warrant for President al-Bashir on 4 March 2009 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.

The AU's decision threatens to block justice for victims of the worst crimes committed on the continent. It is inconsistent with article 4 of the AU's constitutive act that rejects impunity, as well as the treaty obligations of the 30 African governments that ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC. The decision also undermines the consensus reached by African ICC States Parties at a meeting in Addis Ababa in June 2009.

Recognizing our obligation to help protect human rights and uphold the rule of law, we, the undersigned civil society organizations, appeal to African ICC States Parties to reaffirm their support for the ICC and their commitment to abide by their obligations under the Rome Statute, particularly in relation to the arrest and transfer of the President of Sudan to the ICC.

The ICC was created to bring accountability for the most serious crimes of international concern: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. African governments, together with civil society, played an active role in establishing the court and African governments were among the founding ratifiers of the Rome Statute.

A majority of African countries are now Parties to the ICC: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. In ratifying the Rome Statute, these states signaled their dedication to cooperate with the ICC to defend the rights of victims and to ensure that the perpetrators of the most serious crimes known to humankind, whoever they might be, are brought to justice.

In Addis Ababa in June, those states underscored their continued support for the court. Proposals to consider making recommendations in relation to possible withdrawal from the ICC or withholding cooperation from the court failed to win a consensus.

The decision adopted at the AU summit just three weeks later is a backward step. The basis provided by the AU for withholding cooperation with the ICC is the UN Security Council's lack of response to the AU's request for a deferral of the ICC's case against President al-Bashir. Consistent with States Parties' obligations under the Rome Statute, this is a matter to direct to the Security Council and does not warrant withholding cooperation from the ICC.

Following the AU summit, the governments of Botswana and Uganda issued statements reiterating their commitment to cooperating with the ICC. These statements are important.

Civil society across the continent has expressed concern about the AU decision. Ensuring that the determined steps to end impunity on our continent are not undermined requires a collective effort by all Africans. Instead of retreating from important achievements to date, we look to our governments to remain steadfast in their support for justice for victims of the worst crimes, including by reaffirming their commitment to cooperate with the ICC.

Organizations supporting the statement

1.           Action des Chrétiens Activistes des Droits de l'Homme à Shabunda (ACADHOSHA), South Kivu, DRC

2.           Action des Chrétiens pour l'Abolition de la Torture (ACAT), Bujumbura, Burundi

3.           Adala Association, Rabat, Morocco

4.           Advocates for Public International Law Uganda (APILU), Kampala

5.           Africa Internally Displaced Persons Voice (Africa IDP Voice), Lusaka, Zambia

6.           Africa Legal Aid, Accra, Ghana

7.           Africa Talks, Accra, Ghana

8.           African Centre on Justice and Peace Studies, Kampala, Uganda

9.           African Development and Peace Initiative (ADPI), Adjumani, Uganda

10.       AIDS Consortium, Johannesburg, South Africa

11.       Amnesty International Burkina Faso

12.       Amnesty International-Morocco, Rabat

13.       Amnesty International Senegal

14.       Amnesty International South Africa

15.       Amnesty International Zimbabwe

16.       Antenne Social Alert Burkina (ASAB), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

17.       Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa, Windhoek, Namibia

18.       Arab Center for the Independence of Judiciary and Legal Profession (ACIJLP), Cairo, Egypt

19.       Arche d'Alliance, Bukavu, DRC

20.       Article 19, Nairobi, Kenya

21.       Association ACAT (Action des Chrétiens pour l'abolition de la torture), Madagascar

22.       Association Africaine de Défense des Droits de l'Homme (ASADHO), DRC

23.       Association Africaine de Défense des Droits de l'Homme, section du Sud-Kivu (ASADHO/SUD-KIVU), DRC

24.       Association Capverdienne des Femmes Juristes, Praia, Cape Verde

25.       Association des Animateurs sur le Lac Kivu, Bukavu, DRC

26.       Association des Victimes de Crimes et Répressions Politiques au Tchad (AVCRP), N'Djamena, Chad

27.       Association des Volontaires du Congo Asvoco-Fondation Dufina, Goma, DRC

28.       Association Marocaine des Droits Humains (AMDH), Rabat, Morocco

29.       Association of Environmental Lawyers of Liberia (Green Advocates), Monrovia, Liberia

30.       Association pour la promotion et la défense de la dignité des victimes (APRODIVI), Ituri, DRC

31.       Association pour la renaissance des droits humains au Congo (ARC-ONDH), Kinshasa, DRC

32.       Association pour les Droits de l'Homme et l'Univers Carcéral (ADHUC), Moungali, Brazzaville - Congo

33.       Association Tchadienne pour la Promotion et la Défense et des Droits de l'Homme, N'Djamena, Chad

34.       Breaking The Wall of Silence, Windhoek, Namibia

35.       Bureau de Coordination Société Civile du Sud Kivu, Bukavu, DRC

36.       Bushenyi District CSO Forum, Bushenyi, Uganda

37.       Carrefour d'Idées pour le Développement Intégral (CIDI), Nord-Kivu, DRC

38.       Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), Monrovia, Liberia

39.       Centre d'études sur la Justice et la Résolution 1325, Kinshasa, DRC

40.       Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), Johannesburg, South Africa

41.       Centre for Constitutional Rights, Cape Town, South Africa

42.       Centre for Coordination of Youth Activities (CCYA), Freetown, Sierra Leone

43.       Centre for Democracy and Development, Abuja, Nigeria

44.       Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, South Africa

45.       Center for Human Rights and Rehabiliation (CHRR), Lilongwe, Malawi

46.       Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP), Cape Town, South Africa

47.       Center for Justice for Accused Persons, Kampala, Uganda

48.       Center for Research and Development, Mutare, Zimbabwe

49.       Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), Johannesburg, South Africa

50.       Center for Trauma Counseling and Conflict Resolution (CETCCOR), Monrovia, Liberia

51.       Children Education Society (CHESO), Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

52.       Cite des Droits de l'Homme et de Paix (CIDHOP), Bukavu, DRC

53.       Civic Initiative, Monrovia, Liberia

54.       Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), Enugu, Nigeria

55.       Civil Society Alternative Process of Sierra Leone (CSAP-SL), Freetown

56.       Coalition Congolaise pour la Justice Transitionnelle (CCJT), Bukavu, DRC

57.       Coalition Ivoirienne pour la Cour Pénale Internationale, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

58.       Coalition of Eastern NGOs (CENGOS), Nigeria

59.       Coalition of Justice and Accountability, Sierra Leone

60.       Collectif des Organisations des Jeunes Solidaires du Congo-Kinshasa (COJESKI-RDC), North Kivu, DRC

61.       Conseil Régional des ONG de Développement (CRONGD NK), North Kivu, DRC

62.       Coordonnateur de la Coalition nationale pour la CPI, Kinshasa, DRC

63.       Counselling Services Unit, Harare, Zimbabwe

64.       Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Harare

65.       Culture pour la Paix et la Justice (CPJ), Kinshasa, DRC

66.       Darfur Democratic Forum (DDF), Khartoum, Sudan

67.       Dauphins Munzihirwa-Kataliko (DMK), Bukavu, DRC

68.       Démocratie et les Droits de l'Homme (CREDDHO), Goma, DRC

69.       DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, Gaborone

70.       Dynamique des Femmes Juristes, Goma, DRC

71.       Duport Rd Union for Community Empowerment and Development, Monrovia, Liberia

72.       East Africa Law Society (EALS)

73.       East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Kampala, Uganda

74.       Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nairobi, Kenya

75.       Foundation for Human Rights & Democracy (FOHRD), Monrovia, Liberia

76.       Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), Kampala, Uganda

77.       Greater Northern Uganda Transitional Justice Working Group (GNTJWG), Gulu, Uganda

78.       Group JEREMIE, Bukavu, DRC

79.       Group of Actions Against Marginalisation (GRAM-Kivu), Bukavu, DRC

80.       Groupe Lufalanga Pour La Justice et La Paix, Makiso, DRC

81.       Gulu NGO Forum, Uganda

82.       Héritiers de la justice, Bukavu, DRC

83.       Human Rights and Documentation Centre (HRDC), Windhoek, Namibia

84.       Human Rights and Protection Forum (HRPF), Monrovia, Liberia

85.       Human Rights Concern - Eritrea

86.       Human Rights First Association for Rwanda (HRFA-R)

87.       Human Rights Institute of South Africa, Johannesburg

88.       Human Rights Media Centre, Cape Town, South Africa

89.       Human Rights Network, Uganda (HURINET (U))

90.       Human Rights Watch, Johannesburg, South Africa

91.       Initiative Congolaise pour la Justice et la Paix (ICJP), Bukavu, DRC

92.       Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa, Cape Town, South Africa

93.       Institute for African Integration (iAi), Harare Zimbabwe

94.       Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, Banjul, The Gambia

95.       International Center for Policy and Conflict (ICPC), Nairobi, Kenya

96.       International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), Cape Town, South Africa

97.       International Crime in Africa Programme, Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria, South Africa

98.       International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), Anambra state, Nigeria

99.       Justice and Peace Commision (JPC), Northern Uganda Arch diocese, Gulu, Uganda

100.   Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP), Gulu, Uganda

101.   Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Nairobi

102.   Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ-Kenya), Nairobi

103.   Khartoum Center for Human Rights & Environmental Development, Sudan

104.   Khulumani Support Group, Pretoria, South Africa

105.   Kituo Cha Katiba, Kampala, Uganda

106.   La coalition Centrafricaine pour la CPI, Central Africa Republic

107.   La Ligue Algerienne pour la Defence des Droits de L'Homme, Algiers, Algeria

108.   La Ligue des Electeurs (LE), DRC

109.   La Maison des Droits de l'Homme du Cameroun, Douala, Cameroon

110.   La Solidarité pour la Promotion sociale et la Paix (SOPROP), DRC and Rwanda

111.   Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), Pretoria, South Africa

112.   Legal Assistance Centre, Windhoek, Namibia

113.   Liberia Media Center, Monrovia

114.   Lutheran Church Massacre Survival and Victims' Association (LUMASA), Monrovia, Liberia

115.   Malawi Law Society, Blantyre

116.   Manifesto99, Freetown, Sierra Leone

117.   Mouvement Ivoirien des Droits Humains (MIDH), Côte d'Ivoire

118.   Muslim Human Rights Forum (MHRF), Nairobi, Kenya

119.   National Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA), Nigeria

120.   National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), Namibia

121.   Network Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (NMDHR), Freetown, Sierra Leone

122.   Nigeria Coalition for the ICC (NCICC), Abuja

123.   Observatoire congolais des droits de l'Homme (OCDH), Brazzaville - Congo

124.   Oeuvre communautaire pour l'éducation pour tous (OCET), Bukavu, DRC

125.   Open Society Foundation for South Africa, Cape Town

126.   Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

127.   Ordem dos Advogados de Moçambique, Maputo

128.   Organisation dénommée Action Sociale pour la Paix et le Développement (ASPD), DRC

129.   Organisation Marocaine des Droits Humains (OMDH), Rabat, Morocco

130.   Peace Pen Communications, Nairobi, Kenya

131.   Peace Youth Association (PYA), Khartoum, Sudan

132.   Prepared Society, Mombasa, Kenya

133.   Promotion de la Démocratie et protection des Droits Humains (PDH), Goma, DRC

134.   Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO) Guinee

135.   Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO) Senegal

136.   Research and Advocacy Unit, Harare, Zimbabwe

137.   Réseau Africain pour le Développement Intégré (RADI), Dakar, Senegal

138.   Réseau des Associations des Droits de l'Homme du Sud Kivu (RADHOSKI), Bukavu, DRC

139.   Réseau d'Initiatives locales pour le Développement durable (REID), Goma, DRC

140.   Réseaux Provincial des ONGDH en RDC, North Kivu, DRC

141.   Rights and Rice Foundation (RRF), Monrovia, Liberia

142.   SADC Lawyers Association, Gaborone, Botswana

143.   Samotalis Coalition of Human Rights, Hargeisa, Republic of Somaliland

144.   Securitas Congo, Kinshasa, DRC

145.   Sierra Leone Coalition for the International Criminal Court (SLCICC), Freetown

146.   Sierra Leone Court Monitoring Programme, Freetown, Sierra Leone

147.   Society Against Poverty and Hunger, Lagos, Nigeria

148.   Society of Law Teachers of Southern Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

149.   Socio-Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP), Lagos, Nigeria

150.   Solidarité des familles pour le développement (SOFADE), Bukavu, DRC

151.   Solidarité féminine pour la paix et le développement intégral, Beni, DRC

152.   Solidarité Paysanne pour la Santé et le Développement Communautaire (SPSDC), Bukavu, DRC

153.   Sonke Gender Justice Network, Cape Town, South Africa

154.   South African History Archive (SAHA), Johannesburg, South Africa

155.   Southern African Centre for Survivors of Torture (SACST), Johannesburg, South Africa

156.   Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC), Johannesburg, South Africa

157.   Synergie des Femmes pour le Victimes des Violences sexuelles (SFVS), Goma, DRC

158.   Uganda Coalition for the International Criminal Court (UCICC)

159.   Uganda National NGO Forum, Kampala

160.   Union des femmes Paysannes du Sud-Kivu (UWAKI Sud-Kivu), Bukavu, DRC

161.   West Africa Bar Association (WABA), Nigeria

162.   Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, Pretoria, South Africa

163.   Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Harare

164.   Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Harare