African countries are considering a co-ordinated withdrawal from the International Criminal Court if it is not reformed to address what they see as its bias against the continent, according to a document seen by Reuters. Three African countries last year signaled their intention to quit what is the world's first permanent global war crimes court, saying it unfairly singles out crimes in Africa for prosecution. It calls for "fair and transparent" international justice that is free of "double standards", and advocates the "regionalisation" of international law, a reference to proposals for an African war crimes court. The court's defenders have always said its focus on Africa reflects the continent's greater incidence of serious war crimes and the weakness of its judicial systems. Read: African countries plans to quit ICC will not hinder war crimes probes - Bensouda

Source: The Star January 27, 2017 16:41 UTC