Gambia Reverses Move To Quit ICC

The Gambia has officially begun moves to revoke its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, the government has said.

The move comes after new President Adama Barrow had promised to abandon the process started by his predecessor Yahya Jammeh last year to remove The Gambia from the Rome Statute.

According to a statement from Barrow’s government, an official letter has been sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations by Foreign Affairs minister Ousainou Darboe to stop the exit process.

The process would have lasted for one year before The Gambia would have left the ICC, APA reports.

The government has notified new UN scribe Antonio Guterres, in his capacity as depositary of the Rome Statue, of its decision to discontinue the withdrawal process which was started in November 2016.

Banjul pointed out that by so doing it was demonstrating that it was regarding herself as a state party to the statue of the ICC and promised to honour her obligations as a member.

The government said as a proponent of human rights, good governance and respect for the rule of law, following its ousting of Mr Jammeh by free and fair elections it can only reaffirm its commitment to the principles of the Rome Statute which had established the ICC.

The Gambia has withdrawn from the ICC last November, accusing the court of being an “International Caucasian Court” designed to humiliate Africans.

Gambia was one of several countries in Africa that has notified the UN of its intention to quit the court over dissatisfaction that it was targeting mainly African leaders for trial.

(NAN)