SENEGAL/ UNITED STATES
US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp announced Monday in the Senegalese capital Dakar that his country is disbursing one million dollars for the trial of former Chadian president Hissène Habré, who is charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture. Extraordinary African Chambers have been created within the Senegalese justice system to try the most serious crimes committed in Chad during Habré’s presidency.
ICC/COTE D’IVOIRE
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday unsealed an arrest warrant against Charles Blé Goudé, former youth minister under Ivorian ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, who is currently detained by the Court in The Hague. The arrest warrant had remained confidential since it was issued on December 21, 2011. Simone Gbagbo, wife of the former president, is also under an ICC arrest warrant, but her husband is so far the only Ivorian suspect in the hands of the Court.The same day Abidjan filed a submission requesting that the ICC let Côte d’Ivoire try Simone Gbagbo in its own courts. The former First Lady is currently detained in Côte d’Ivoire. The Ivorian government says it has both the will and the capacity to try her, and promised a fair trial. ICC/KENYA
On Wednesday, the ICC also unsealed an arrest warrant against Walter Barasa, a Kenyan suspected of witness tampering in the case against Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang. This is the first time the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for offences against the administration of justice.
SYRIA/UN
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) said Wednesday that a UN Resolution adopted the day before would not bring peace in Syria so long as there is no mechanism to bring to justice those most responsible for international crimes committed in that country. The FIDH is campaigning for the situation in Syria to be referred to the ICC.
NEXT WEEK
ICC: The trial of former Congolese vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba is scheduled to continue from Monday, as is the joint trial of Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang.
RWANDA: After a long series of delays, the trial of Pastor Jean Uwinkindi, the first detainee transferred to Rwanda by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), is scheduled to start on Friday in Kigali. ER/JC