ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) system is out to get Africans, claiming that of those indicted, "99 percent are Africans." The PM, who is also African Union chair, was speaking at the conclusion of the 50th anniversary summit of the AU and its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity, which has been nicknamed by some as the "Dictators' Club," after some of its less savory members. He lambasted the "chasing" of Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya's recently-elected president, who is due to stand trial in July on charges of crimes against humanity over accusations that they fuelled election violence in 2007. His deputy William Ruto faces similar charges – both men deny them. Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, has also been charged with genocide over the conflict in Darfur – a charge he denies. "African leaders have come to a consensus that the (ICC) process that has been conducted in Africa has a flaw," Desalegn said. "The intention was to avoid any kind of impunity … but now the process has degenerated to some kind of race hunting." BN
