South Africa’s ruling party wants country to leave International Criminal Court: President

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday his governing African National Congress party (ANC) has resolved to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Ramaphosa made the remark while addressing a joint news conference with visiting Finnish President Sauli Väinämo Niinisto in the nation’s capital of Pretoria.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant last month for Russian President Vladimir Putin who is expected to attend the BRICS conference in South Africa in August. BRICS is a bloc of emerging economies that includes Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

“The African National Congress has taken that decision that it is prudent that South Africa should pull out of the ICC. Largely because of the manner the ICC has been seen to be dealing with these types of problems,” said Ramaphosa.

During the weekend, the ANC resolved to start the process of pulling out of The Hague-based court.

Ramaphosa said his country would like the matter of unfair treatment by the ICC to be properly discussed. Many African leaders have previously claimed the ICC is biased toward certain countries, especially in Africa and other regions.

Niinisto is on a two-day visit to South Africa -- the first by a Finnish president in more than 20 years.

Ramaphosa and Niinisto said they discussed several issues of regional and international significance and explored ways they can collaborate to drive effective responses to major issues facing humanity including wars, diseases and the threat of climate change.

Niinisto will also visit Namibia.