General News of Tuesday, 5 December 2006

Source: GNA

Kufuor re-affirms Ghana's support for ICC

Accra, Dec. 5, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday re-affirmed Ghana's backing of the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) and said it was a good course to support.

Ghana's position, he said, was in appreciation of the fact that the court could become a major cornerstone for protecting and advancing humanitarian processes.

President Kufuor was receiving the First Vice President of the ICC, Professor Ekua Kuenyehia, to the Castle, Osu. She had called on the President to update him on the cases the Court is handling.

Incidentally, all four cases before it are from Africa -northern Uganda, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sudan/Darfur Region.

The court has issued warrants for the arrest the Uganda's rebel Lord Resistance Army leader, Joseph Kony, and four of his associates. President Kufuor said there was now a global consciousness of the necessity to uphold human rights, adding that once there was a violation of human rights the perpetrators should be brought to book. He said it was a sad reflection that the ICC's engagements were all in Africa, something that was not totally surprising giving the conflicts, turbulence, brutality and genocide in some parts of the region.

On the Darfur conflict, President Kufuor said it was too broad and sensitive but that the African Union would not spare any effort to restore normalcy there.

Prof Kuenyehia conveyed the ICC's gratitude to Ghana for its support.