Botswana joins Bashir bashing
Oarabile Mosikare | Wednesday June 17, 2015 16:11
This is owing to an outstanding warrant of arrest against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“The decision taken by the Courts against President Omar al-Bashir while attending the African Union Summit in South Africa, is a positive development that will send a clear message to others, that the days of impunity are numbered,” said Wame Phetlhu, assistant director at the Department of Public Relations, Research and Information.
The department falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which has been vociferous in its support of President Ian Khama, who is well known for having said al Bashir will be arrested, should he step into Botswana.
Phetlhu said they commend this action by the courts as it gives hope and optimism to the victims of those atrocities and brutality.
“Botswana as a State Party to the Rome Statute, which sets out the crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, strongly supports international efforts to hold those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes accountable.
“We have consistently indicated that should President Al-Bashir come to Botswana, we will pursue the spirit of the law as outlined in the Rome Statute.
“We therefore find it disappointing that President Al-Bashir avoided arrest when he cut short his visit and fled, in fear of arrest, to his country. We call on all countries that are a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC to cooperate with the ICC in ensuring that President Al-Bashir is made to account for the atrocities committed in Darfur and to support the international community’s efforts to provide justice for the victims. The African Union should lead by example in this regard.”
A human rights lawyer, Morgan Moseki, supported this position adopted by Botswana. His attack was specifically targeted towards Africans who buy into the idea that African leaders are being targeted by predominantly white leaders.
“They must note that it is African citizens in their respective countries who have filed complaints against their own black African leaders alleging crimes against humanity against their own people.
“Are they saying it is proper for African leaders to systematically exterminate their own people and get away with it? All signatories to the Rome statute establishing the ICC must abide by it.
“It is like saying that when you discover that the law you passed in Parliament has been violated by your own mother, she must not be arrested for violating that very law,” said Moseki.
He gave the example of Uganda, which has signed the Rome statute so that Joseph Kony must be handed to ICC to answer for war crimes committed by the Lord Resistance Army.
“A black state wants to take another black man to the ICC and finds it proper and we are not protesting. When it is against Bashir we are crying foul that we are being targeted by white people. It is called double standards.”
Moseki said he was for the people not mad rulers who throw innocent inhabitants into bottomless pits in the name of politics.
“Those who protect rogues are complicit in genocide and other horrific crimes against innocent citizens,” he charged.