South Africa and Burundi's decision to quit the ICC and an attack by Gambia against its supposed 'Caucasian' justice are likely to embolden other African states to leave the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal. All eyes are now on Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the ICC's chief tormentor who made history in 2013 by becoming the first sitting head of state to appear before the court, on charges of crimes against humanity. Supporting South Africa's subsequent stance, he took aim in particular at Article 27 of the ICC's 1998 Rome Statute which affirms the "irrelevance of official capacity" - in other words, nobody, no matter how powerful, is above the law. "Our argument has always been that there's a need for the whole of Africa to withdraw from the ICC. "This was bound to happen when dictators - for the most part that's what they are - decide to run for cover."

Source: The Star October 28, 2016 16:06 UTC