Africa and the ICC

The AU recently called on the ICC to refrain from prosecuting African heads of state.  Numerous African leaders have complained that the ICC practices “selective justice” noting that only Africans have been indicted by the court.

I’m of two-minds about this.  First I am generally skeptical of big purportedly international organizations like the ICC, UN, etc.  The international consensuses that they claim to represent are rarely, truly, international or consensual.  And it is appalling that the ICC has only indicted Africans.  Sadly, if we are to have an ICC at all (something I am not sure about), surely there are badies all of over the planet worth bringing to “justice,” not just Africans.  Is such selective justice just?  I doubt it.

On the other hand I have individually no real sympathy for those African leaders who have been indicted.  It is likely they all deserve it.  Furthermore African leaders, who are often not the most popular bunch either within their own countries or outside of them, are not doing themselves any favors in the court of public opinion by forming a “kraal” as it were to protect their own. 

One can condemn the selective justice of the ICC and at the same time those African leaders who have been indicted by it.