The International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says she is frustrated by diplomatic ping pong by member states and unwillingness to arrest some inductees.
Framers of the Rome Statute envisaged full cooperation by state parties to execute ICC’s requests, including effecting arrests, and, therefore, decided not to establish a police or separate force to carry through its decisions.
However, speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing trial of former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen in the Hague, Bensouda noted that some states do not take the responsibility as parties to the Rome Statute to arrest wanted suspects seriously.
She has however promised to secure Ongwen’s conviction as proof of commitment to deliver justice victims of LRA war in northern Uganda.
Regarding threats by some African states to withdraw from the ICC, Bensouda said the court would continue prosecuting accused persons, whether or not they are heads of states or government enjoying immunity at home, as long as there are credible allegations against them filed at the court.
Meanwhile today the prosecution will conclude their opening statements and the legal representatives for victims will make their opening statements in the Ongwen trial.
The presentation of evidence by the Prosecution in the case will commence in January 2017.
On 23 March 2016, Pre-Trial Chamber II confirmed the 70 charges brought by the Prosecutor against Dominic Ongwen, an alleged former Commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army and committed him to trial.
