The African Union

This week African States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court will meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to assess the work of the ICC in relation to Africa. The meeting is significant as all of the current situations and cases under investigation and being prosecuted by the ICC arise from the African continent. The meeting is convened pursuant to a decision of the Assembly of the African Union (Assembly/AU/Dec. 221 (XII), Feb. 2009). According to that decision, the purpose of the meeting is to: to exchange views on the work of the ICC in relation to Africa, in particular in the light of the processes initiated against African personalities, and to submit recommendations thereon taking into account all relevant elements. The decision to convene the meeting arises out of concern and in some cases anger following the request for an arrest warrant for President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan (discussed on this blog here, here, here, here and here)  in relation to the situation in Darfur. The…