Museveni, Kikwete Pledge Support for ICC Activities

Museveni, Kikwete Pledge Support for ICC Activities

Thursday, 3 June 2010
President Yoweri Museveni has described the Review Conference of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that is taking place in Kampala as an opportunity to discredit the claim that the ICC is a court for Europeans to judge Africans. He urged Africans in general to embrace it adding that they are the beneficiaries.

The Review Conference of the Rome Statute of the ICC opened yesterday at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort and will last until June 11, 2010. The conference represents the first opportunity to consider amendments to the Rome Statute and to take stock of its implementation and impact since it entered into force in 2002. Over 2000 representatives of States, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations are participating at the conference.

The president was speaking at the State Banquet in honor of the Secretary General of the United Nations H.E Ban Ki-Moon and heads of delegations of the ICC member states at State House, Entebbe last evening.

The president noted that Uganda having suffered her share of war atrocities, the conference is a chance to interact and share first hand, with the victims of the terrorists. He said Uganda has joined the rest of the world to condemn the acts of terrorism and genocide.

'' Uganda has joined the rest of the world to assert that cowardly acts of terrorism, genocide and other acts of genocide shall not be tolerated'', he said.

The president said that the restoration of peace and security, good governance and Prosperity for All (PFA) was on top of the agenda of the National Resistance Movement. He said Uganda has been privileged to participate in the peace building processes in the region and pledged to continue protecting human rights and work for peace.

The Secretary General of the United Nations H.E Ban Ki Moon described the conference as a reminder that the victims of atrocities perpetrated by the LRA are at the centre of international justice. He saluted the president and his NRM government for his efforts towards fighting impunity.

The President of the Republic of Tanzania, Mr. Jakaya Kikwete re-affirmed his country’s commitment to the ICC in fulfillment of its set objectives.