2015 EDITION Vol.3 Issue 11 DIGITAL

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She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the distinguished ICJ International Jurists Award (2009), presented by the then President of India P. D. Patil; the 2011 World Peace Through Law Award presented by the Whitney Harris World Law Institute, the American Society of International Law’s Honorary Membership Award (2014), and the XXXV Peace Prize by the United Nations Association of Spain (2015). In addition to receiving several honorary doctorates, Mrs. Bensouda has been listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world (2012); by the New African magazine as one of the “Most Influential Africans;” by Foreign Policy as one of the “Leading Global Thinkers” (2013), and by Jeune Afrique as one of 50 African women who, by their actions and initiatives in their respective roles, advance the African continent (2014 & 2015). Ms F. Bensouda (Chief prosecutor, ICC) with Mr Ogo Ubabukoh (Editor in chief / Publisher of Kata Kata) kata kata: It is a great privilege for us to interview one of the greatest legal juggernauts in the world, a force to recon with, and the biggest African name in the legal circle. Thank you Ms Bensouda, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in Den Haag, the Netherlands for granting us this interview. Bensouda: I thank you warmly for the chance to answer questions about the work of my Office in our efforts to bring an end to impunity for the world’s worst crimes and a measure of justice for the victims. Kata Kata: As a top lawyer from Africa and the Chief Prosecutor of the Internation Criminal Court (ICC), the first African to occupy such a prestigious and sensitive post, how do you feel? Bensouda: It is an honour and a privilege to serve as the Court’s Prosecutor. With that privilege of course also comes great responsibility. I am committed to holding to account those most responsible for the world’s worst crimes, namely, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. We are doing everything we can, to do just that, notwithstanding the challenges present. As a proud African who hails from a continent that has regrettably experienced and continues, in many instances, to experience atrocity crimes, I consider it my duty to do what I can to address such unspeakable crimes whether committed in Africa or elsewhere my jurisdiction allows me to act. The victims of such crimes deserve justice. Moreover, atrocity crimes have a debilitating impact on society as a whole and stunt its potential. These heinous and destructive crimes must be addressed, and I feel enormously privileged to have the opportunity to do my part. Kata Kata: What message do you have for African women who are still under the shackle of conservative ideologies? Kata kata cartoon magazine 18
A message for the women Bensouda: As a woman and an African, I add my voice to the chorus of others who champion women’s rights in the pursuit of peace and stability. There are many ways to strive for and ordain peaceful change. Mine is the language of law. In my role as ICC Prosecutor, I am reminded daily of the consequences of armed conflict on the lives of women and girls. In the courage and dignity of victims and survivors, I have seen human nature at its best. And reflected in the sheer brutality of crimes against them, I have seen it at its very worst. Sexual and gender-based violence is sadly characteristic of so many conflicts, often in circumstances where violence against women is already entrenched. I am acutely aware that for women and girls, especially, the cost of armed conflict is more than the already weighty burden of physical and psychological scars. While the suffering of war is felt by entire communities, prevailing inequalities exacerbate the consequences for women and girls. Greater inclusion of women in positions of responsibility gives a voice to a group intensely affected by war but rarely participant in the decisions that lead to it. It is long overdue for women the world over to finally and fully participate in all spheres of social, cultural, economic and political life, and for men to fulfil the honourable role of standing strong with women in promoting equality. Women leadership at all levels will provide a platform for women and girls who have been traditionally marginalised to speak up, to stand tall, and to hold their oppressors to account. Kata Kata: Today in many African countries, the name, ICC is received with some degree of scepticism. What do you think is the reason behind this negative perception amongst Africans? Bensouda: The root of such critiques can be traced mainly to one of the challenges facing the ICC: misperceptions about the Court’s mandate and the limits and potentials of its jurisdiction – in other words, a lack of full understanding of where the Court can and cannot legally act and why, and how the ICC was seized by the situations and cases currently before it. Within the limits of its resources and means, the Court does its best to counter such misperceptions, but it needs the assistance of its supporters. The Court’s member states, civil society, academia and indeed, the media can play a crucial supportive role in this regard to demystify the ICC. So who tops the list? Kata Kata: Looking at the statistics of individuals indicted by the ICC, Africans top the list; yet around the world, we see a lot of atrocities being committed in many non-African countries, and the perpetrators of these gruesome acts are not subjected to the ICC legal hammer. How do you justify your indictment list, in view of this social reality? Bensouda: If we consider statistics, then let us never forget the victims: more than five million African victims displaced, more than 40,000 African victims killed, thousands of African children recruited to fight wars and transformed into killers, and thousands of African victims raped. Atrocity crimes have been committed in a number of African states under the Court’s jurisdiction, and those most responsible for such crimes must be held accountable. Of course, there is no doubt that crimes of terrifying cruelty have or are being committed against women, men and children in countries where no one is held responsible. It’s important to understand that my mandate is subject to a number of legal limitations. A critical restriction for my discretion to act as Prosecutor is that the country where atrocity crimes are committed has to be a member of the ICC or that the perpetrator must be a national of a member state of the ICC. Wherever the law gives us the power to act, and victims need us, we will not let them down. In Africa, no less than six times, it is African governments themselves who asked the ICC to exercise its jurisdiction. Africa represents the largest regional 19 Kata kata cartoon magazine
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Page 3 and 4: ABOUT KATA KATA CARTOON MAGAZINE Ka
Page 5 and 6: I HEAR YOU Chigau ndi ku mupozwa. (
Page 7 and 8: Kata kata village joins UNESCO‛S
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Page 17: Interview Exclusive Interview with
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