Zambia Not Under ICC Probe-Bensouda
Zambia is not among the countries that are under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to a list unveiled at the on-going 18th Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC, in the Netherlands, the countries undergoing investigations are Nigeria, Guinea, Ukraine, Venezuela, Columbia, Libya, Darfur, Georgia, Philippines and Palestine among others
In a statement issued by secretary for press at the Zambian Mission in Belgium, Phyllis Chilekwa, Justice Minister Given Lubinda said that Zambia remained committed to the ideals of the International Criminal Court.
At the ICC conference prosecutor of the ICC Mrs Fatou Bensouda announced the names of countries under the Court’s investigation.
“Zambia remains committed to upholding and defending the principles and values enshrined in the Rome Statute as well as preserving its integrity. Zambia also upholds the fight of the ICC, intended to put an end to impunity of perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to international law and the international community as a while and thus commits to contribute to the preservation of such crimes,” Lubinda stated.
“Mr President, as you may be aware, the African Union at its Ordinary session through decision EX.CL/1006(XXX) called for the mass withdrawal of African states from the Rome Statute. It was however left to the individual member states to decide whether to remain or to pull out of the ICC.”
Lubinda said that Zambia had voted to remain a member of the ICC despite other African countries calling for a mass withdrawal.
“The President of Zambia Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu being a Democrat and running a democratic government put the question whether to remain a member state of the Rome Statute or not to the public debate. We therefore conducted a consultative process in 2017 to ascertain the views of the populace on whether or not Zambia should remain party to the Rome Statute,” he stated.
“Mr President, I have the pleasure of announcing to this assembly of states parties that the citizenry of Zambia voted to remain party to the Rome Statute. With the reaffirmation of the population, the government of Zambia is fully committed to unreservedly cooperate with the ICC.”
The Assembly of States Parties – ASP is the management oversight and legislative body of the International Criminal Court, which is composed of representatives of the States that have ratified and acceded to the Rome Statute.
The ASP meets in full plenary once a year to discuss and decide upon matters key to the future functioning of the ICC.