News / National
Mugabe jets off to Ethiopia
11 Oct 2013 at 15:38hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe, has left Harare for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a one-day extraordinary summit of the bloc.
Mugabe will join other heads of state from the continent at an extra ordinary session of the assembly that has been convened to give the continent's leaders an opportunity to deliberate on the possible withdrawal of African countries from the International Criminal Court.
Mugabe is accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Joey Bimha and some senior government officials.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi is already in the Ethiopian capital where he attended an extraordinary session of the executive council Friday morning.
Some African countries have expressed concern over the court's targeting of African leaders, while ignoring atrocities committed elsewhere.
However, some countries that include Botswana, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Mauritius among others are in support of the ICC.
34 African countries which belong to the African Union grouping appended their signatures to the Rome Statute that created the ICC.
The ICC was set up in 2002 to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide and all the eight cases that the war crimes court is currently investigating are in Africa.
Mugabe was seen off at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Joice Mujuru, who is acting President, cabinet ministers, service chiefs and other senior government officials.
Mugabe will join other heads of state from the continent at an extra ordinary session of the assembly that has been convened to give the continent's leaders an opportunity to deliberate on the possible withdrawal of African countries from the International Criminal Court.
Mugabe is accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Joey Bimha and some senior government officials.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi is already in the Ethiopian capital where he attended an extraordinary session of the executive council Friday morning.
Some African countries have expressed concern over the court's targeting of African leaders, while ignoring atrocities committed elsewhere.
However, some countries that include Botswana, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Mauritius among others are in support of the ICC.
34 African countries which belong to the African Union grouping appended their signatures to the Rome Statute that created the ICC.
The ICC was set up in 2002 to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide and all the eight cases that the war crimes court is currently investigating are in Africa.
Mugabe was seen off at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Joice Mujuru, who is acting President, cabinet ministers, service chiefs and other senior government officials.
Source - zbc
