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Kofi Annan criticises ICC over Kenyatta and Ruto cases | Kofi Annan criticises ICC over Kenyatta and Ruto cases |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of mishandling the cases against Kenya's leaders. | Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of mishandling the cases against Kenya's leaders. |
Mr Annan told the Financial Times (FT) that President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto should not have remained free during their trials. | |
The ICC dropped charges of crimes against humanity against both men but said witnesses had been intimidated. | The ICC dropped charges of crimes against humanity against both men but said witnesses had been intimidated. |
The cases related to violence after disputed elections in 2007. | The cases related to violence after disputed elections in 2007. |
Some 1,500 people were killed and 600,00 forced from their homes as ethnic clashes spread around the country. | Some 1,500 people were killed and 600,00 forced from their homes as ethnic clashes spread around the country. |
Both men denied the charges and accused the ICC of unfairly targeting African leaders. | Both men denied the charges and accused the ICC of unfairly targeting African leaders. |
Kenya says it will withdraw from the ICC. | Kenya says it will withdraw from the ICC. |
Africa Live: BBC news updates from the continent | Africa Live: BBC news updates from the continent |
Mr Annan, who was appointed by the African Union to mediate Kenya's post-election crisis of 2007-08, accused the Kenyan government of using state resources to undermine the ICC. | |
"The president and vice-president were the ones in the dock and so they put lots of efforts and resources into fighting the case," he said. | |
The former UN secretary general told the FT that Africans should seek justice abroad if they could not get it domestically. | |
He also rejected accusations that the ICC was biased against Africa, saying: "Slobodan Milosevic and others convicted of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia had been tried in The Hague before the ICC was established." | |
The African Union has been critical of the ICC with member states on the continent threatening to withdraw from the court. | |
Mr Annan also praised the recent conviction of Hissene Habre, the former president of Chad, who was tried in an African Union-backed court in Senegal. |