Prosecuting International Crimes in Africa - PULP - University of ...
Prosecuting International Crimes in Africa - PULP - University of ...
Prosecuting International Crimes in Africa - PULP - University of ...
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Immunity <strong>of</strong> state <strong>of</strong>ficials and prosecution <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational crimes 57<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Act which requires the M<strong>in</strong>ister to consult the ICC and that it is the<br />
ICC which must decide whether there is any contradiction. S<strong>in</strong>ce the ICC<br />
has been given the power to determ<strong>in</strong>e this it is obvious that presidential<br />
immunity cannot prevail <strong>in</strong> respect <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational crimes under the<br />
jurisdiction <strong>of</strong> the ICC and courts <strong>in</strong> Uganda.<br />
Despite its monist nature, Senegal enacted a law implement<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Rome Statute. The country has also amended its Constitution <strong>in</strong> article 9<br />
to confer jurisdiction to its courts to prosecute persons who commit<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational crimes, namely, genocide, war crimes and crimes aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
humanity.Senegal further amended its Code <strong>of</strong> Crim<strong>in</strong>al Procedure <strong>in</strong><br />
article 669 to allow universal jurisdiction for <strong>in</strong>ternational crimes. The<br />
effect <strong>of</strong> these amendments <strong>in</strong> the Constitution and Code <strong>of</strong> Crim<strong>in</strong>al<br />
Procedure is to allow for the retrospective application <strong>of</strong> Senegal’s penal<br />
laws to persons who had <strong>in</strong> the past committed <strong>in</strong>ternational crimes. This<br />
is due to the presence <strong>in</strong> Senegal <strong>of</strong> Hissène Habré, former president <strong>of</strong><br />
Chad, who committed crimes aga<strong>in</strong>st humanity <strong>in</strong> Chad and who enjoys<br />
asylum <strong>in</strong> Senegal. Follow<strong>in</strong>g the new law courts <strong>in</strong> Senegal can prosecute<br />
Habré. This is contrary to what the Senegalese courts had held <strong>in</strong> 2005<br />
when they decided that they could not prosecute Habré for crimes<br />
committed <strong>in</strong> Chad and that Habré enjoyed the immunity <strong>of</strong> a state <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />
for acts <strong>of</strong> torture committed <strong>in</strong> Chad. 123<br />
Ethiopia became a state party to the Genocide Convention <strong>in</strong> 1949. It<br />
is not a state party to the Rome Statute. The Constitution <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia,<br />
1995, prohibits and punishes the <strong>in</strong>ternational crimes <strong>of</strong> genocide and<br />
crimes aga<strong>in</strong>st humanity. 124 The Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia, 2005, 125<br />
which repealed the Penal Code <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia <strong>of</strong> 1957 126 and came <strong>in</strong>to force<br />
on 9 May 2005, prohibits and punishes genocide, crimes aga<strong>in</strong>st humanity<br />
and war crimes. 127 The new law envisages the death penalty and rigorous<br />
punishment rang<strong>in</strong>g from five years to life imprisonment <strong>in</strong> some cases.<br />
Article 4 <strong>of</strong> the Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia, 2005, outlaws immunity<br />
for state <strong>of</strong>ficials who commit <strong>in</strong>ternational crimes. It requires all accused<br />
persons to be treated equally regardless <strong>of</strong> their rank. It states that the<br />
immunity accorded by <strong>in</strong>ternational law and Constitution apply to state<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia. Authorities <strong>in</strong> Ethiopia prosecuted former state<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficial, Mengistu Haile-Mariam, for genocide and crimes aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
humanity 128 under the old law, the Penal Code <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia, 1957. They<br />
123 Belgium v Senegal para 5.<br />
124 Art 28 Constitution <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia, 1995.<br />
125 Proclamation 414/2004 Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code <strong>of</strong> the Federal Democratic Republic <strong>of</strong><br />
Ethiopia, 9 May 2005.<br />
126 Penal Code <strong>of</strong> the Empire <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia <strong>of</strong> 1957, Proclamation 158 <strong>of</strong> 1957 (repealed).<br />
127 Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code <strong>of</strong> Ethiopia, 2005: Title II, Chapter I <strong>Crimes</strong> <strong>in</strong> violation <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>International</strong> Law, art 269 (genocide), arts 270-273, 276, 277, 279-283, (war crimes).<br />
128 On the trial <strong>of</strong> Mengistu, see Y Haile-Mariam ‘The quest for justice and reconciliation:<br />
The <strong>International</strong> Crim<strong>in</strong>al Tribunal for Rwanda and the Ethiopian High Court’ (1999)<br />
22 Hast<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>International</strong> and Comparative Law Review 675-679.
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