ICC prosecutes African cases but ignores Western atrocities – analyst

The court’s failure to address ongoing atrocities undermines its legitimacy, Kim Heller has said

RT: Geopolitical analyst and author of No White Lies, Kim Heller © RT / RT

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is losing legitimacy due to its failure to address ongoing global atrocities while continuing to prosecute decades-old African cases, geopolitical analyst and author Kim Heller has said.

Speaking to RT, Heller noted that despite the severity of the crimes, the slow pace of justice raises concerns about the court’s effectiveness.

“I think the ICC credibility is really in question because of its impotence at dealing with current atrocities,” stated Heller, who is the author of ‘No White Lies’.  

Her remarks follow the ICC’s July 24 sentencing of Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom – leaders of the Anti-balaka militias in the Central African Republic (CAR) – to 12 and 15 years in prison, respectively, for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between 2013 and 2014.

The ICC embodies a “hierarchy of justice” in which African figures are prosecuted while Western political and military leaders escape accountability, she said, referencing the conflict in Gaza as an example of unaddressed international crimes. “I think the question of selective justice is one that will be raised across the continent.”

Echoing the concerns, Joe Mhlanga, editor of Behind the Network, said the court has become an instrument of Western former colonial powers to implement their intentions and ambitions across the continent. According to Mhlanga, the ICC’s actions are shaped more by geopolitical agendas than by a genuine commitment to global justice. “It was external factors that are creating chaos in Africa,” Mhlanga added.

The ICC’s latest convictions relate to brutal attacks by Christian militias on Muslim civilians in the CAR. Ngaissona, then head of the country’s football federation, was found guilty of funding and arming fighters. Yekatom, a former parliamentarian, is said to have commanded an estimated 3,000 fighters and directed attacks in areas such as the capital, Bangui, and Lobaye. Both denied the charges.

The case, launched in 2021, heard testimony from around 75 witnesses. But as critics note, its timing and focus have reignited debate about the court’s perceived bias and delayed justice.