By NATION Reporter
In Summary
- Mr Odinga defends the ICC from accusations that it targets African leaders saying the continent is a victim of its own failures.
Former Prime Minister Raila
Odinga has asked African governments to come up with concrete steps to
provide justice to its citizens.
Mr Odinga said he is disturbed by attempts to demonise institutions that seek to provide relief to citizens who have suffered abuse in the hands of the leaders.
Addressing students and staff of
the University of Pretoria on Wednesday evening, Mr Odinga said
increasing attacks on the International Criminal Court by Africa’s
leaders were disturbing and hypocritical.
He said it was difficult to
understand why leaders who voluntarily appended their signatures to the
Rome Statute that set up the ICC have turned around to condemn the same
institution.
“Human rights are universal.
There are no human rights for Asians, Europeans and Africans. Africa
will only shield itself from the external world when it develops
sufficient will and capacity to deal with conflicts satisfactorily and
sufficiently,” Mr Odinga said during a session on "The Future of
Democracy in Africa".
The session was part of the
wider program on "The Cost of Democracy" organised by Boston
University’s African Presidential Centre.
Betrayal of ideals
The former PM said that Africans
are suffering as a result of the betrayal of the ideals that informed
the struggle for independence.
"Independence has come. The leadership comprised those who had fought for basic freedoms of expression, speech, association and movement. We assumed the leaders understood the pain of being denied these freedoms. They understood the pain of inequitable distribution of resources.
“They knew the pain of being
discriminated against on the basis of tribe, race, religion and place of
origin. They would not commit such sins against their own people.
Today, we know we were wrong,” Mr Odinga said.
He lamented that the struggle
that the African people have had to endure in the years after
independence have been as vicious and sometimes more vicious than what
they waged against the colonialists.
“It has been a struggle laced
with the pain of being betrayed by a brother, an uncle, a father, a
neighbour, and a friend. Where are we to turn?” he posed.
External forces
Mr Odinga said lack of clear plans for tackling the abuse meted out on the population had seen Africa rely on external forces.
He defended the ICC from accusations that it targeted African leaders saying the continent was a victim of its own failures.
Mr Odinga said African leaders facing charges at the ICC were referred by their countries.
He said Kenya voted to have the
post election violence suspects tried at The Hague while Laurent Gbagbo,
Charles Taylor and Joseph Kony have all been referred to the same court
by their respective countries.
Ten days ago, African
presidents supported a petition calling on the ICC to drop crimes
against humanity charges facing President Kenyatta and Deputy President
William Ruto.
The leaders said national courts should handle
the trials. The African leaders resolved this during the 21st ordinary
session of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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