The International Criminal Court (ICC) insists that no African president can stop its operations.
This is in response to President Yoweri Museveni’s outbursts against the Hague-based Court, describing them as a “bunch of useless people”.
Phakiso Mochochoko, Director Jurisdiction Complementary and Corporation Division of the ICC maintained that the court still has a strong ground and its maintaining the same position that African leaders shall not block its operations.
Mochochoko made the remarks while on his consultation visit to villages in Northern Uganda that were affected by the two decade war led by Joseph Kony the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
While delivering his inaugural speech at Kololo Independence Grounds on Thursday, President Museveni attacked the western powers reference to his Sudanese counterpart Omar Al Bashir who was witnessing the swearing in ceremony.
The president’s remarks prompted the U.S. delegation to walk out in protest.
Meanwhile, The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change has attacked president Museveni for making disparaging statements about the International Criminal court
According to the party president Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, such statements are a clear sign that the NRM government is in panic.
On Thursday, Amnesty International asked the government of Uganda to arrest visiting Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir who is wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Dafur region.
While addressing a press conference at the US Embassy in Kampala on Friday, The US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Bureau of African Affairs, Mr Bruce Wharton described president Museveni’s disparaging remarks against the ICC as a mockery to the victims of the Dafur war in South Sudan.
However, the state minister for International Relations Henry Okello Oryem said the Sudanese leader could not be arrested like a chicken thief. While in its latest response, government says the US anger over president Museveni’s statement about the ICC during his swearing -in on Thursday amounts to hypocrisy.
