Friends
The AU is having a special meeting this Friday, to consider pulling the
entire continent out of the ICC, but before it sits on Friday, an African
has sent them a letter to put a caviar on why we need or not need The ICC.
The letter is below.
EM
On the 49th
An Open Letter to the African Union from War Crimes Victims
To the Kind Attention of Your Excellencies the African Presidents:
I write to you as a fellow African, as a brother to you and those millions
of Africans who continues to suffer from different forms of injustices.
Above all, as someone who shares with you the deep love for our beloved
continent. I reach to you Heads of African States, with my deepest
compassion in the light of the effects of decades of dreadful conflicts in
Africa. I do believe that my views are widely shared by majority of Africans
and people around the world with desires to see profound meaningful and
positive change comes to the continent. Above all, I am representing the
voices of victims and survivors whose lives have been shattered by wars, and
who are living with great despair, anger and bitterness.
Whereas you and your colleagues gather for the Extra Ordinary African Union
Summit to deliberate how best to uphold the promise of the African Union to
end impunity, we ask you to never lose sight of the profound suffering that
is linked to not keeping that promise. Too often have the perpetrators of
the gravest of crimes gotten away with it. In the eyes of civilian
populations, most of these serious violations have resulted from governance
issues, either through actions or state inactions. It would be very sad for
African leaders not to acknowledge that greater percentages of Africans have
lived and continues to suffer atrocious wars in the last 30 years; and
Africa continues to experience the worst crimes against humanity.
Whereas the key summit deliberation might be about the International
Criminal Court (ICC), including potential withdrawal from the Rome Statute
by some states, may you not forget your obligations based on not only United
Nations Charter, but also the African Union charter! Even though youre
political heads of States, it would be honorable of you not to view the ICC
with purely political lenses, but wear the human rights lenses; and look
from the victims point of views. May you all realize that any misconceived
resolution viewed as a guilt crusade against the ICC might as well be
interpreted by your fellow Africans and people around the world as the
African Unions a crusade against international criminal justice, as well as
a crusade against a future of peace and justice in Africa!
Whereas other major nations are embarking on strengthening their roles in
protection of their citizens human rights, strengthening principles of
democracy and promoting justice; it would be the most obsolete decisions to
relegate Africas search for peace and justice to the colonial excuses. Its
politically disturbing and morally shocking to note that at this point when
the world is getting together, the African leaders are mobilizing the
continent to subscribe to political bigotry and politics of despair. For the
sake of your fellow Africans, and trusting that youll listen to your heart,
may you never forget that this will bring a huge a shame for our continent
and insult to victims! It will definitely create a sense of feeling that
African leaders seem unanimously and single-mindedly committed to sustain
their peoples suffering, while politically hostile to justice.
Victims needs are too real to be politicized, neither should it be a
subject to political scapegoating
Our organisation, the African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), is all too
familiar with suffering. We have helped thousands of victims of terror in
northern Uganda. We have seen firsthand the effects of the most heinous
violations humans have ever inflicted on other humans. Just like in northern
Uganda, victims of serious international crimes from other countries
continue to endure unspeakable cruelties. They include young children being
forced to murder their own parents and siblings as part of being brainwashed
into serving as child soldiers. They include tens thousands of children who
were abducted, mutilated, tortured, burned and raped. A point not to forget
dear Your Excellencies is, the biggest threats of the poor people and
victims of war in your respective countries is not the ICC, but human rights
abuses and violations that results into war crimes, crimes against humanity
and genocides.
>From a victims perspective it is soothing to know that international
institutions such as the ICC are ready to fill the justice gap. It will
exist as long as national and regional systems are insufficient to deal with
these cases. We therefore strongly urge you to collaborate as closely as
possible with the ICC, and also to strengthen the ICCs Trust Fund for
Victims, the only organization geared specifically to providing help to
victims when they need it most.
Lack of state capacity to facilitate Recovery and Ensure Justice
Thousands of survivors have been living with painful and disfiguring
physical wounds to this day. The traumas associated with these kinds of
experiences cast their shadows on the lifetimes of several generations and
remain for the most part untreated. The main reason for this is the lack of
state capacity. The medical and psycho-social needs of the victims exceed
the ability of the state to provide much needed relief. As long as we cannot
mobilise the capabilities locally, i.e. in Africa, we need to count on help
from the rest of the world. Even though this outside support is still
insufficient in addressing all the needs of the victims, its sheer existence
has been an important source of healing and hope.
Another source of hope for the victims stems from the fact that for the
first time in history the world has begun moving away from granting impunity
to the perpetrators of atrocity crimes. Lack of state capacity is a huge
issue here as well. However, global support made it possible to create
international criminal tribunals and special courts on our continent and
bring the perpetrators of atrocity crimes to justice. In addition, the
existence of the worlds first permanent criminal court, the ICC, enabled a
number of African governments to refer cases they were unable to prosecute
themselves.
Your Excellencies the Presidents, if you really care about Africa and
Africans, this is the time for real choices for meaningful changes that
benefits Africans, rather than working against efforts to ensure justice for
the victims. I am petitioning you to re-think your decisions, and to choose
what will make a better Africa.
Victor OCHEN
Director
African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), Uganda.
www.africanyouthinitiative.org
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kiiza Besigye Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni na Dk. Kiiza Besigye Uganda ni katika machafuko"
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