Uganda president urges African nations to quit ICC News
Uganda president urges African nations to quit ICC

[JURIST] Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni [official website] on Saturday urged African nations to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Speaking during a televised presidential debate, Museveni accused the court of working against Africa [Bloomberg report] and said the court is not serious about their problems. Museveni has been the President of Uganda for 30 years and is currently a candidate for President in the February election. He argued that Uganda should already have left the court.

Last month the ICC opened the confirmation of charges hearing [JURIST report] against accused Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Dominic Ongwen [ICC materials]. Ongwen made his first appearance before the ICC last year amid opposition from the Ugandan government, which wished to try him in the country after his surrender [JURIST reports]. The country’s attorney general assured the ICC last February that Uganda would cooperate [JURIST report] with his trial.

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