ADDIS ABABA, 26 MAY 2013.

Thank you Chairperson;

Excellencies;

I commend the work done on the report of Peace and Security Council; in particular, I wish to support the idea of putting in place Rapid Deployment Capability as we work out other appropriate modalities. Combining sub regional mechanisms and voluntary contributions is important; however there is need to provide clarity of a framework to be used so that all African countries can be part of it.

Based on her own history, Rwanda believes strongly in fighting impunity as an important step toward sustainable peace and security.

A robust international criminal justice system is an important tool to end impunity for serious crimes and promote reconciliation in post-conflict societies. However, to achieve this goal, such international criminal justice needs to be free of political interference and to uphold the principle of sovereign equality of states; an objective Rwanda believes the ICC has completely failed to accomplish.

The facts speak for themselves: all 28 of the indictments (a hundred percent, that is) issued by the ICC since it came into being eleven years ago have been directed at Africans. Our weakness is to have seen it coming and to have expected from the start that it would be otherwise.

It is evident that political bias, control and flawed methodology are being deployed in the name of International Justice. Yet ICC proponents are ostensibly deaf to the increasingly vocal criticism against the court’s bias towards Africa. This is not acceptable and Africa must stand up to it and refuse to be intimidated or bribed into silence and inaction on this matter.

We cannot support an ICC that condemns crimes committed by some and not others or imposes itself on democratic processes or the will of sovereign people. Such a court cannot facilitate reconciliation which is a vital precursor to peace.

Mr Chairman;

The need to build our own capacities on the continent to address criminal justice calls for crucial and urgent steps – in particular the Africa court of justice should to be strengthened and supported.

On Kenya: Kenya has the capacity and the legitimacy to prosecute perpetrators of the most serious crimes, including the post-electoral violence.

It is not in the interest of the ICC, the Security Council, the African continent and relationships between the three, to see further humiliation of African people and their leaders by an unfair criminal justice system.

We should support a common African position and action on the matter at this Summit and subsequently at the UN General Assembly.