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Momodou
Denmark
11829 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Feb 2010 : 12:58:28
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Fatou B. Bensouda to Probe Guinea Massacre
By Saikou Jammeh
A Gambian deputy Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in Hague, Mrs. Fatou B. Bensouda has announced that she will pay a visit to Guinea Conakry this month to investigate the recent civilian massacre allegedly perpetuated by the Junta.
The resource-rich West African state recently hit world news headlines after security forces surrounded and blockaded the stadium, then stormed in and fired at peaceful protesters, resulting in an unprecedented mass murder of civilians in that country’s history.
An in-depth investigation into the matter by Human Rights Watch also uncovered evidences of widespread sexual violence committed by security personnel, in addition to the bloodbath. There were 150 to 200 people confirmed dead, rights groups reported; a number much higher than the official toll of 57 dead, and over 1000 injured.
Speaking at the event of the recently concluded Bar Week, the deputy prosecutor in The Hague says she will this month visit Guinea to probe the Guinea massacre before taking any action.
According to her, there is an intrinsic link between justice and peace, adding that by putting an end to impunity for the perpetrators of most serious crimes, the court can and will contribute to the prevention of such crimes, thus having a deterrent effect.
Mrs. Bensouda pointed out that ICC has built a global community with new technologies, where communities and people that are isolated before are today communicating at a "tremendous speed".
This global community she added has also led to the consolidation of global criminality. Global crimes that transcend borders affect entire regions and continent; but with no global government to fight it, and with poor national institutional backing; hence ICC and the Rome Statute created global governance without government, but with global international law and courts, she said further.
In this regard, Mrs. Bensouda called for strong and consistent diplomatic and political action by all actors to ensure compliance with the courts decision. Simply putting it, she said "when it comes to perpetrators of massive crimes, there should be only one answer: the full and transparent implementation of the law".
She continued: "For the prosecutor and myself, our mandate is clear. We have to apply the law. As an independent prosecutor, we have the responsibility to select the cases for the court. This was seen in Rome as the most sensitive of issues. But selection of cases at the end of the day is straightforward. The prosecutor investigates those most responsible for the most serious crime of the gravest situation under a jurisdiction. Nothing more. Nothing less. That is what we did and what we will continue to do".
It is in line with this principle that the ICC is prosecuting Thomas Lubanga for recruiting child soldiers. "We are prosecuting Joseph Kony and other leaders of the LRA for abducting and transforming them into sexual slaves and killers. We are prosecuting Germain Katanga and Mathew Ngudjolo for killing and raping civilians. We are prosecuting Harun and Kushayb for attacking civilians in villages. We have requested an arrest warrant against Al Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. We are prosecuting Abu Garda for attacking AU peacekeepers in Haskanita on 2007. We are seeking authorization from the court judges to open an investigation regarding the situation in Kenya and the crimes during the post-election violence in December 2007. And we are also carrying out analysis [on] activities in four continents including in Colombia, Palestine, Georgia and Afghanistan.
Source: Daily News
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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