The ruling African National Congress (ANC) wants South Africa to review its membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC) because it believes the world judicial body has lost its direction, a senior party office bearer said.
The African National Congress' international relations subcommittee on Sunday announced its decision to withdraw South Africa from the International Criminal Court, reported Bloomberg.
"The principles that led us to be members [of the ICC] remain valid and relevant... however the ICC has lost its direction unfortunately and is no longer pursuing that principle of an instrument that is fair for everybody," the committee's chairperson Obed Bapela said, according to news24.
"We will always carry the African agenda...understanding that we are in a world where others trample on some of the issues that we stand for," Bapela told reporters in Midrand, South Africa, where the ANC is holding its council meeting.
The ruling party also made it clear that South Africa will continue to champion human rights.
"The ANC continues to uphold and respect human rights and does not condone impunity, war crimes or acts of genocide but the problem is the double standards and selective actions of the ICC and the fact that only two of the UN Security Council permanent members are signatories, whereas they have unfettered powers with regard to the ICC," the party said, according to Independent Online.
The ANC's announcement came in the wake of a tussle between the South African government and the International Criminal Court over the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, reported Kbc. South Africa had refused to obey ICC's order to arrest Bashir during an official tour in June and allowed Bashir to leave.
