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China, ICC dominate ACP-EU parly session

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DISCUSSIONS around Sino-African relations and the continent’s fears of the International Criminal Court (ICC) dominated last week’s meetings of the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly held in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

DISCUSSIONS around Sino-African relations and the continent’s fears of the International Criminal Court (ICC) dominated last week’s meetings of the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly held in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

BY RICHARD CHIDZA

A report presented to the local Parliament by the head of Zimbabwe’s delegation to the meetings, Masvingo Urban lawmaker, Daniel Shumba, African countries remain hesitant on the issue of the ICC and rejected Western interference in their relations with emerging giant China.

“Parliamentarians argued that it was the sovereign decision for member states to co-operate bilaterally with China, which, they argued, was sustainable contrary to EU aid, which involved cumbersome drawdown procedures. They also stressed that the item be removed from the agenda,” Parliament heard.

Member of European Parliament (MEP) Michael Gahler also brought up the issue of political parties funding in Africa warning of its effects.

“He claimed that a number of ACP and EU countries were subject to foreign interference, especially by Russia, which financed populist parties,” the report said, adding many ACP countries had adopted rules to guard against foreign funding but lacked enforcement.

Debate, according to the report, also centred on a proposed visit to ACP countries by three ex-commissioners, Louis Michel, Pascal Lamy and Emma Bonino.

“The issue generated heated debate among parliamentarians, who called for a postponement or cancellation of the visits, arguing that the EU should not set the agenda for the ACP. The assembly enquired whether the ACP side could undertake a similar outreach to EU member states and proposed that ACP ambassadors should identify experts to undertake the exercise and take part in the negotiations,” Shumba told the National Assembly.

APC lawmakers wanted discussions around the ICC removed from the agenda, but failed.

“They observed that the ACP did not have a common position on the matter (ICC) and argued that any position to be taken had to be consistent with the African Union position. Of the 10 investigations at the ICC, African state parties referred eight, while the United Nations Security Council referred two,” the report said.

Two countries that, early this year, threatened to pull out of the ICC, had since rescinded the decisions.

“Following the election of a new President in The Gambia, the government had withdrawn its notification on February 14 whereas South Africa had withdrawn its notification on March 13 after the country’s Constitutional Court had ruled that the withdrawal was unconstitutional. Only Burundi was on course to withdraw in October 2017,” the meeting heard.

Representatives from Botswana, Liberia and Trinidad and Tobago pledged their countries’ commitment to the ICC, while St Vincent and Geraldines MPs argued that African states need not fear the ICC “if they had clean hands”.