The International Criminal Court and the African Union

Abstract

This chapter examines the context of the Africa–ICC relationship, tracing the roots of the friction between the ICC, and by extension some of its European member states, and the African Union (AU), which has been the voice of those African nations disenchanted, if not outraged, by indictments and prosecutions against African leaders and politicians. Given that the ICC Prosecutor has focused exclusively on the African continent, there is widespread AU criticism that the pursuit of international criminal justice is solely concerned with African politics. The chapter demonstrates that the tension between the ICC and the AU has been exacerbated by the recent prosecution of cases involving Kenya, which became a major political issue in the East African nation. The chapter contends that the AU’s disenchantment with the ICC has led leaders in the continent to push various local justice alternatives under the banner of ‘African solutions to African problems’.