South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that the country will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to the court's alleged unfair treatment of certain countries. The announcement came during a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
The decision to withdraw from the ICC has been a long time coming, with the governing African National Congress (ANC) feeling that the court treats African leaders unfairly. Ramaphosa cited the need for a discussion about the issue of unfair treatment, but in the meantime, the ANC has decided to push for the withdrawal.
This is not the first time the ANC has attempted to withdraw from the ICC. In the past, a South African court ruled the move unconstitutional. However, the ICC's recent issuance of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine seems to have reignited the issue.
South Africa is a signatory to the ICC and is obligated to arrest Putin should he attend the upcoming BRICS meeting in Johannesburg, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. However, given the ANC's close ties to Moscow and refusal to condemn the invasion of Ukraine, it remains to be seen whether South Africa will indeed follow through with this obligation.
It's worth noting that South Africa previously refused to arrest former Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir when he visited in 2015, despite an ICC arrest warrant out for him. The decision was met with international criticism and calls for South Africa to be punished for not complying with its ICC obligations.
The decision to withdraw from the ICC has been met with mixed reactions. While some support the move, others worry that it sends the wrong message about South Africa's commitment to human rights and justice. The ICC plays an important role in holding leaders accountable for war crimes and other atrocities, and without the participation of countries like South Africa, the court's effectiveness could be undermined.
Regardless of one's stance on the issue, it's clear that the decision to withdraw from the ICC will have significant implications for South Africa's relationship with the international community and its role in promoting justice and human rights around the world.
