Off the wire
• Myanmar petanque athletes to undergo joint training in Thailand  • 1st LD: Malaysia officially announces flight of MH370 is lost  • Kenya boosts security along northern border  • News Analysis: Full-blown Israeli-Hezbollah confrontation currently unlikely  • Egypt's Sisi heads to Ethiopia for African Union Summit  • Chinese security official meets Thai justice minister  • Zambia national soccer team goalkeeper says not ready to hang boots  • China, Japan agree to launch maritime, aerial crisis management mechanism  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- Jan. 29  • Weather forecast for world cities -- Jan. 29  
You are here: 　 Home

Kenya to push for overhaul of Rome Statute at AU summit

Xinhua, January 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Kenyan government said it is pushing for a comprehensive overhaul of the Rome Statute to ensure that its mechanisms duly recognize the African realities and sociopolitical context with regard to conflict resolution, justice, accountability and political stability.

This is revealed in a statement issued in Nairobi before Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta left the country early Thursday for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he will attend a two-day African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government summit.

Since these efforts did not succeed largely because of resistance by Western interests, Kenya has indicated that it will associate itself with the initiative to establish an African International Justice mechanism that delivers African solutions to African problems.

According to Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, the mechanism is nearly completed as proposed during the 23rd Ordinary Session of the AU summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea last June and developed under the Malabo protocol.

"Kenya has already signed and ratified the proposed African mechanism and the Kenyan team will be pushing for this agenda at the summit," the statement said.

Top in this year's African Union agenda is the issue of International Criminal Court (ICC) and the recent Ebola crisis in West Africa.

"Besides the AU summit, President Kenyatta will, on arrival in Addis Ababa, attend the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) which is expected to thoroughly and conclusively deal with the issue of the South Sudan conflict," the statement said.

Last week in Tanzania, regional leaders, among them, Kenyatta, witnessed the signing of an agreement between rival factions of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) aimed at reunifying the historical party.

Other key issues lined upon for discussion include the establishment of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention, peace and security in Africa and alternative sources of financing the AU.

Besides the AU and IGAD meetings, Kenyatta is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with other leaders, including the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on matters of mutual interest. Endi