The international criminal court and Africa: a critical analysis of competing views of the success of the court in protecting human rights in African countries
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the world’s first permanent court that was established in 2002 to try individuals charged with genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression. Over the years, the operations of the ICC in Africa have gained global attention due to the controversies that characterize the relationship between the Court, the African Union (AU) and some African countries. The hostile attitude and criticism against the Court by leadership of the AU and some African leaders have created the perception that the ICC has little or no support in Africa. Using the critical post-colonial perspective, this study explores the diverging opinions of African countries on the operations of the ICC in the continent. It seeks to answer the question how is the ICC perceived in Africa? The study collects data from online media sources that include local and international newspapers, documents, reports and articles to critically analyze the different views African countries have of the ICC. This study finds that African leaders that oppose the Court and fail to cooperate do so due for political reasons. It is perceived that they oppose the Court for fear of possible indictment. However, they are quick to use the Court as a weapon against their political opponents. On the other hand, African leaders and civil society groups that support the Court do so because of the role it plays in protecting victims and punishing perpetrators of serious human rights violations.