Gambia to Withdraw from International Criminal Court

Gambia says it will pull of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after accusing the tribunal of persecuting and humiliating Africans. The small West African nation joins South Africa and Burundi in withdrawing from the court. 

    The ICC was set up to try the world's worst crimes but has been accused of unfairly targeting African leaders. Gambian Information Minister Sheriff Bojang said the court had ignored Western war crimes, according to the (BBC) Speaking on state television, he said the ICC was "an International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans". 

    President Yahya Jammeh has ruled The Gambia since taking power in a coup in 1994. Elections are due in December, but opposition leader Ousainou Darboe and eighteen others were jailed for three years earlier this year over an unauthorised protest. 

    South Africa said last week that it had formally begun the process of withdrawing from the ICC because it did not want to execute arrest warrants which would lead to "regime change".

Source: QNA