NDC member calls for the establishment of a continental African Court

Mr Chris Addy-Nayo, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member from the Buem Constituency in the Volta Region, has called for the establishment of a Continental African Court (CAC).

He said this should be a subsidiary of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Africa for the trial of Africans accused of human rights abuses, impunity and genocide.

A statement issued by Mr Addy-Nayo said the NDC member made the remarks at a meeting with Officials at the Court in The Hague, Netherlands during a visit with a team of NDC members.

The ICC is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague in the Netherlands with the authority to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Ghana has been a member of the Court since its inception from July 1, 2002, the date that the Rome Statute entered into force.

Some of the recent prosecutions involving Africans include the prosecution and conviction of former Liberian Leader Charles Taylor, the ongoing trial of Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bosco Ntaganda, Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army Captain Dominic Ongwen and the ongoing trial of the former Ivorian Strongman Laurent Gbagbo and Youth Leader Charles Ble Goude.

Mr Addy-Nayo expressed the perceptions of bias against Africans in the trial process at the ICC with responses from officials of the Court explaining the process for prosecution of a case, of which majority of the referrals in relation to the ongoing trials originated from Africa.

In line with the Kwesi Botchwey recommendations for a strong policy basis for the National democratic party (NDC)Party, Mr Addy-Nayo and his team were exploring different Policy initiatives for a future NDC government which would enhance democracy, promote Human Rights, and prevent impunity in Africa.

Mr Addy-Nayo said Ghana with the necessary support could host the CAC and called on the officials of the ICC to engage closely with Ghanaian Universities, Attorney-General’s Office, the Ghana Bar Association, NGOs, and Human Rights bodies to develop institutional and professional capacity for cooperation on the aims, objectives and activities of the Court.

The team also had the opportunity to sit-in on the ongoing trial of the former Ivorian Strongman Laurent Gbagbo and Youth Leader Charles Ble Goude as the Court listened to witness statements against the accused persons.