Gambia announces its departure from the International Criminal Court

Gambia has become the third African nation to say it will leave the International Criminal Court, deepening fears of a mass pullout from the body that pursues some of the world’s worst atrocities.

In announcing the decision Tuesday night on national television, Gambia accused the court of unfairly targeting Africa and calling it the “International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of color, especially Africans.”

The move comes after South Africa, once a strong ICC supporter under former President Nelson Mandela, notified the United Nations secretary-general last week that it would leave the court. Burundi’s president last week signed legislation to leave the court as well.

Gambia’s move drew swift condemnation from human rights groups. The statement about the court unfairly pursuing Africans “could not be further from the truth,” said Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s research and advocacy director for Africa.
“For many Africans the ICC presents the only avenue for justice for the crimes they have suffered,” Belay said. “Gambia’s announcement is particularly shocking given that the ICC’s prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, is herself Gambian and a champion of international justice and the fight against global impunity.”

Gambia has begun the process of withdrawing from the ICC, which involves notifying the U.N. secretary-general and takes effect a year after the notification is received, its information minister said. So far, the U.N. has said it has received notification only from South Africa.

Officials with other top African critics of the court, including Uganda and Kenya, have said in recent days they have not yet decided whether to leave the ICC as well. Uganda said it will be a “hot topic” at an African Union meeting in January.