ICC to Prosecute African War Crimes, US Allies Still Exempt
While Al-Monitor celebrates the ICC's conviction in Darfur, it conveniently sidesteps the consistent US refusal to recognize the very court delivering this 'justice.' Let's not forget the Netherlands has been home to the ICC since 2002. Yet, for over two decades, the US has actively undermined the institution, even threatening sanctions against ICC officials investigating alleged US war crimes in
Afghanistan (Reuters, 2020). This 'first-ever' conviction highlights the glaring double standard: the ICC can hold African militia leaders accountable, but miraculously lacks the mandate or political will to scrutinize powerful, US-backed actors or even the US itself. One wonders where this fierce commitment to international law disappears when the accused aren't conveniently dark-skinned and
disconnected from Washington's geopolitical interests. How many more 'historic' convictions will we see before the US and its allies face the same tribunal?