Lungu to consult Zambians over International Criminal Court (ICC)

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Former President Rupiah Banda, My Wife and Partner The First Lady, the Zambia's ambassador to Ethiopia Md Susan Sikaneta and I joined the diaspora community for dinner in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Former President Rupiah Banda, My Wife and Partner The First Lady, the Zambia's ambassador to Ethiopia Md Susan Sikaneta and I joined the diaspora community for dinner in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

President Edgar Lungu says he will not rush into ejecting Zambia from being a part of the International Criminal Court but will instead consult with Zambians on what they would like.

Speaking to journalists before his departure to Luapula yesterday, President Lungu said democracy dictates that he consults with stakeholders who in this case are the Zambian people before making decisions.

President Lungu said he believes in widespread consultation with stakeholders as the right path to govern.

He said he would not dictate to Zambians what they should adopt with regard to the country staying or pulling out of the ICC.

The African Union (AU) wants its member states to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This is a message to the international community to stop “harassing” Africans, the AU said.

The decision was arrived at in a closed session of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday.

However, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Botswana and Chad want to remain members of the court.

The summit adopted a withdrawal strategy which had been circulated to members beforehand but was overshadowed by the elections of AU Commission leaders.

The document says: “A growing number of African stakeholders have begun to see patterns of only pursuing African cases being reflective of selectivity and inequality”.

Member states also agreed to press for a reformed United Nations Security Council. African countries have no permanent representation in the council. The council can refer cases to the court, yet it is not a UN court.

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