"To be tried before the ICC does not mean that one is sentenced in advance" (Chief CPI Côte d'Ivoire)

To be tried before the International Criminal Court (ICC), does not mean that we are sentenced in advance, said Thursday in Abidjan, Nouhoum Sangaré, the head of the local office of this international court in Côte d'Ivoire

"The ICC has delivered nearly 9 convictions and 2 acquittals since its creation. This means that the court is credible, "said Sangaré, who was speaking at a meeting with journalists as part of the activities marking the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute (International Treaty Establishing the ICC). next Tuesday in the Ivorian economic capital.

According to Mr. Sangaré who is also the head of the local office of this jurisdiction in Mali, the Rome Statute, founder of the ICC, "remains an international response against the atrocities in the world putting the victims at the heart of its propensity. "

Responding to those who denounce the ICC's" relentless "crackdown on African leaders to the detriment of Westerners, the ICC representative in Côte d'Ivoire responded that he There is no "focus" of this Court on a continent.

For him, this is due to the fact that Africa is the regional group that has ratified the Rome Statute the most. "This status is an unprecedented and unique step forward," he urged media men to work towards its popularization.

"The promotion of the Rome Statute aims to prevent serious crimes", he tells reporters. For his part, the president of the National Press Authority (ANP, regulatory body of the press in Côte d'Ivoire), Raphael Lakpe, stressed that it is "important for a journalist to know what he is talking about. He must know the ICC to talk about it. "

Two communications were delivered during this exchange meeting. The first was made by Ms. Konaté Dindio, an expert in conflict management on the theme, "The International Criminal Court: Between the Need for Justice and the Imperative for Peace."

The second communication was delivered by the President of the Confederation of Associations of Victims of the Ivorian Crisis (COVICI), Lassina Kanté on the theme, "The word of the victims". Ms. Konaté reviewed the mode of operation and referral of the ICC notes that this jurisdiction has two limitations, including a "textual" and "operational".

However, said Ms. Konaté, despite these limitations, "The ICC is a beacon of hope for these thousands of victims." The Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, was created on 17 July 1998. It entered into force in 2002 and has been ratified by more than 120 countries, including Côte d'Ivoire. The official celebration of the 20th anniversary of this international treaty establishing the ICC is scheduled for Tuesday.

LB / ls / APA