President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the African National Congress would work to remove South Africa from the International Criminal Court
The decision was made over the weekend by the party’s national executive committee in response to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant issued on March 17 against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the alleged war crime of unlawfully deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
During a state visit by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Ramaphosa made the statements to the media. “The African National Congress has decided that it is prudent for South Africa to withdraw from the ICC,” he stated.
South Africa’s parliament chose just two days ago to abandon a seven-year legislative campaign to withdraw from the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute.
South Africa’s governing party determined in December that the nation would be better off maintaining its membership in the ICC.
Putin had previously accepted South Africa’s invitation to the BRICS conference in August. The international arrest warrant against him requires the government to hand him over to the International Criminal Court. That is if he sets foot on South African land.
“He has been invited by President Ramaphosa, and Russia has indicated attendance,” Anil Sooklal, South Africa’s official in charge of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) relations,
The Kremlin said that Putin will make a final decision on attending the meeting in person closer to the date. This might resume the legislative process, which would need just a simple majority vote to withdraw from the ICC. However, this is a lengthy process that will not be finished in time for the BRICS gathering.
