- Title: AFRICA-SUMMIT/CLOSING AU Chairman Mugabe condemns 'terrorism' in Chad
- Date: 16th June 2015
- Summary: VARIOUS OF PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE LEAVING
- Embargoed: 1st July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVABT9LBH7N9AAE87F30RJ9A77L2
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: AU Chairman and Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe condemned 'terrorism' on Tuesday (June 16) after suspected Islamist suicide bombers killed at least 27 people in the Chadian capital N'Djamena.
At least 100 people were injured on Monday (June 15) in two simultaneous attacks at around 9:00 a.m. (0400 ET) on a police headquarters and training school. It was the first strike of its kind in the central African nation, which has emerged as a firm Western ally against Islamist groups in the Sahel.
"We resolve to continue pressing for dialogue where there are intra-state conflicts in the same vein we strongly condemn acts of terrorism being perpetrated by militant extremists in several parts of Africa, and we just heard once such horrific act which has taken place in Chad. We have resolved to confront terrorism collectively in order to defeat it completely thus ridding our continent of what is currently a menace to Africa," Mugabe said.
The troubling state of peace and security in Africa dominated much of dialogue at an African Union summit in Johannesburg this week.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir flew out of South Africa on Monday in defiance of a Pretoria court that later said he should have been arrested to face genocide charges at the International Criminal Court.
Despite a legal order for him to stay in the country ahead of the ruling on his detention, the government let Bashir leave unhindered, with South Africa's ruling party accusing the ICC of being biased against Africans and "no longer useful".
Referring to the ICC, Mugabe said: "There is the view now that we should distance ourselves from the ICC but unfortunately the treaty that set it up was signed not by the AU but by individual countries who thought that the ICC was there for doing good.... to help us try in certain other cases, in the political field especially, cases of violence and so on that would happen in a country saying during an election campaign but those of them who signed the treaty are now regretting. We did not sign it in Zimbabwe, we said no we don't submit ourselves to justice outside our country - what for?"
Bashir has been indicted by the ICC over war crimes and crimes against humanity but South Africa gave him immunity along with all delegates attending the summit. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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