Editing International Criminal Court (section)

===African Union (AU) withdrawal proposal===
{{main|States parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court#Withdrawal}}
South African President [[Jacob Zuma]] said the perceptions of the ICC as "unreasonable" led to the calling of the special AU summit on 13 October 2015. Botswana is a notable supporter of the ICC in Africa.<ref>{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Cluskey |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/africa/kenya-pushing-for-african-split-from-international-criminal-court-1.1549427 |title=Kenya pushing for African split from International Criminal Court |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=4 October 2013 |access-date=12 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928170024/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/africa/kenya-pushing-for-african-split-from-international-criminal-court-1.1549427 |archive-date=28 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the summit, the AU did not endorse the proposal for a collective withdrawal from the ICC due to lack of support for the idea.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fortin |first=Jacey |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/african-union-countries-rally-around-kenyan-president-wont-withdraw-icc-1423572 |title=African Union Countries Rally Around Kenyan President, But Won't Withdraw From The ICC |date=12 October 2013 |access-date=12 October 2013 |website=[[International Business Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018172412/http://www.ibtimes.com/african-union-countries-rally-around-kenyan-president-wont-withdraw-icc-1423572 |archive-date=18 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The summit concluded that serving heads of state should not be put on trial and that the Kenyan cases should be deferred. Ethiopian formerly Foreign Minister [[Tedros Adhanom]] said: "We have rejected the double standard that the ICC is applying in dispensing international justice."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Africans urge ICC not to try heads of state – Africa |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/africans-urge-icc-not-try-heads-state-201310125566632803.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012085450/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/africans-urge-icc-not-try-heads-state-201310125566632803.html |archive-date=12 October 2013}}</ref> Despite these calls, the ICC went ahead with requiring William Ruto to attend his trial.<ref>{{Cite news |title=ICC rules Kenya VP must attend his trial – Africa |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/icc-rules-kenya-vp-must-attend-his-trial-201310258280911718.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027195009/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/icc-rules-kenya-vp-must-attend-his-trial-201310258280911718.html |archive-date=27 October 2013}}</ref> The UNSC was then asked to consider deferring the trials of Kenyatta and Ruto for a year,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Africans push UN to call off 'racist' court – Features |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/11/africans-push-un-call-off-racist-court-2013111451110131757.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116131604/http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/11/africans-push-un-call-off-racist-court-2013111451110131757.html |archive-date=16 November 2013}}</ref> but this was rejected.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/11/un-rejects-trial-deferral-kenyan-leaders-20131115154921984213.html |title=UN rejects trial deferral for Kenyan leaders |date=16 November 2013 |access-date=25 January 2014 |publisher=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122062110/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/11/un-rejects-trial-deferral-kenyan-leaders-20131115154921984213.html |archive-date=22 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> In November, the ICC's Assembly of State Parties responded to Kenya's calls for an exemption for sitting heads of state<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/11/kenya-vows-icc-statute-amended-2013112119540269406.html|title=Kenya vows to have ICC statute amended|access-date=5 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420235223/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/11/kenya-vows-icc-statute-amended-2013112119540269406.html|archive-date=20 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> by agreeing to consider [[Amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court|amendments to the Rome Statute]] to address the concerns.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2013/11/win-for-africa-as-kenya-agenda-enters-icc-assembly/|title=Win for Africa as Kenya agenda enters ICC Assembly|last=Kaberia|first=Judie|date=20 November 2013|access-date=23 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123184327/http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2013/11/win-for-africa-as-kenya-agenda-enters-icc-assembly|archive-date=23 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 7 October 2016, [[Burundi]] announced that it would leave the ICC, after the court began investigating political violence in that nation. In the two weeks that followed, South Africa and The Gambia also announced their intention to leave the court, with Kenya and Namibia reportedly also considering departure. All three nations cited the fact that all 39 people indicted by the court over its history by that date had been African and that the court has made no effort to investigate war crimes tied to the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Jane |last=Onyanga-Omara |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/10/26/gambia-latest-african-nation-withdraw-international-criminal-court/92766524/ |title=Gambia latest African nation to withdraw from International Criminal Court |work=USA Today |date=26 October 2016 |access-date=26 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109005731/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/10/26/gambia-latest-african-nation-withdraw-international-criminal-court/92766524/ |archive-date=9 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ofeibea |last=Quist-Arcton |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/10/26/499409044/south-africa-withdraws-from-international-criminal-court-others-follow |title=South Africa Withdraws From International Court; Others Follow |newspaper=npr.org |date=26 October 2016 |access-date=26 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027123310/http://www.npr.org/2016/10/26/499409044/south-africa-withdraws-from-international-criminal-court-others-follow |archive-date=27 October 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Following [[2016 Gambian presidential election|The Gambia's presidential election]] later that year, which ended the long rule of [[Yahya Jammeh]], the new government rescinded its withdrawal notification.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gambia rejoins ICC|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/02/17/gambia-rejoins-icc|access-date=14 July 2017|work=Dispatches |publisher=Human Rights Watch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719015323/https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/02/17/gambia-rejoins-icc|archive-date=19 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[High Court of South Africa]] ruled on 2 February 2017 that the South African government's notice to withdraw was unconstitutional and invalid.<ref>{{cite news|title=ICC withdrawal 'unconstitutional and invalid', high court rules|url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/icc-withdrawal-unconstitutional-and-invalid-high-court-rules-20170222|access-date=6 July 2017|work=News24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715055028/http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/icc-withdrawal-unconstitutional-and-invalid-high-court-rules-20170222|archive-date=15 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> On 7 March 2017 the South African government formally revoked its intention to withdraw.<ref>{{cite news|title=SA formally revokes ICC withdrawal|url=http://ewn.co.za/2017/03/08/south-africa-formally-revokes-international-court-withdrawal|access-date=6 July 2017|work=Eyewitness News|publisher=Primedia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812022415/http://ewn.co.za/2017/03/08/south-africa-formally-revokes-international-court-withdrawal|archive-date=12 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The ruling [[African National Congress|ANC]] revealed on 5 July 2017 that its intention to withdraw stands.<ref>{{cite news|title=ANC is sticking to its guns on ICC withdrawal|url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2017-07-04-anc-is-sticking-to-its-guns-on-icc-withdrawal/|access-date=6 July 2017|work=Business Day|location=South Africa|publisher=TMG|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704224716/https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2017-07-04-anc-is-sticking-to-its-guns-on-icc-withdrawal/|archive-date=4 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>