Kenya: US to Support the ICC in Poll Cases

The US government will marshal its support in collaboration with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute the perpetrators of the post-election violence when a local tribunal fails.

Addressing a media conference at the US embassy in Kenya, President Obama’s special envoy on war crimes Mr Stephen Rapp said the US will continue issuing visa bans.

In his statement, Mr Rapp said “The Obama administration made a decision to return to the ICC in an observer status. As such, we will look at this situation and make a decision on what areas to cooperate with ICC.”

The envoy is set for a series of meetings with senior government Officials to push their Agenda for the prosecution of the post-election suspects. He emphasized that the US would not do anything outside the framework of the ICC If the prosecutor seeks US attention on that matter.

Mr Rapp got an update on the Kenyan situation from the ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo on Wednesday 11 in Kigali, and he criticized the Grand Coalition Government of failing to comply with their promise to bring the suspects to book adding that Kenya had no choice but to comply with the ICC.

A Section of the media is reported to have spotted the presence of CIA and FBI agents in Rift Valley Province investigating reports that communities are arming themselves in readiness for 2012.

Over 1000 Kenyans were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced before the two leaders – President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga agreed to form a unity government under pressure from the international community. [ES]