RAILA OPPOSES PULL OUT OF THE ICC

Feb 02, 2015 Editor Kisumu News National, News, World 0

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has opposed plans by the Kenyan Government and by extension African countries to pull out of the ICC (International Criminal Court) without involving their citizens.

Odinga says the court was established for the people and African heads ofstate cannot call for the total pull out without getting approval from the people. He called upon respective countries to engage their citizens and get their inputs before the call for the pull out.

Odinga says the court was very instrumental in dealing with cases of abuse of office and other human rights violation. Speaking in Kisumu after meeting the Luo Council of Elders, Odinga refuted claims that ICC is only targeting African countries.

He says other international leaders have been tried in ICC and ended up dying at The Hague. Odinga took issue with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for criticizing the court for trying Africans pointing out that currently a Ugandan is before the ICC.

He says selective justice should not be promoted in the African continent and challenged Museveni to demand for the handing over of Ong’wen who is facing charges of crimes against humanity to be tried in Uganda.

Odinga further announced that he is ready to testify before ICC on cases facing Deputy President William Ruto and former Radio Presenter Joshua Sang.

Raila also added that his testimony will only be based on defending ODM (Orange Democratic Movement) for not taking part in the 2007/8 Post Election Violence that rocked the country.

However, he says he has not been approached by anybody not even Ruto to go testify at The Hague in Netherlands.