International Criminal Court — institution that prosecutes crimes against humanity and war crimes, currently facing withdrawal requests and leadership challenges.
Ghana has rejected calls to abolish the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the institution should instead be strengthened to ensure perpetrators of crimes against humanity are held accountable. …
Ghana has rejected calls to abolish the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the institution should instead be strengthened to ensure perpetrators of crimes against humanity are held accountable. …
… The discussions also provided an opportunity to advance Kenya’s diplomatic engagements in support of the candidatures of Justice Phoebe Okowa for election to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Justice Njoki Susanna Ndungu for election to the International Criminal Court …
… President da Silva said persecuting the International Criminal Court and its members encouraged these crimes to go unpunished and explained that the UN Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, must not be silenced for telling the truth. …
Judges at the International Criminal Court convicted on Wednesday a former Seleka militia leader from the Central African Republic of crimes against humanity, including torture. …
… They want Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court. The government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake insists that it is fully cooperating with the investigation. …
… developments include the adoption of a working legal definition of ecocide by the Independent Expert Panel, followed by binding or soon-to-be-binding instruments at the Council of Europe (2025) and the European Union (2024), and a proposal before the International Criminal Court …
… 82 people countrywide in relation to taking the law into their own hands,” Lamola said, adding that it “shows the firm hand that the South African government has taken in this matter.” Lamola’s remarks come after two Ghanaian nationals petitioned the International Criminal Court …
… In addition, two private individuals have reportedly initiated proceedings against South Africa at the International Criminal Court, seeking accountability over the attacks. …
… Two Ghanaian nationals have also petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged attacks against migrants in South Africa. …
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa told the UN General Assembly that Ghana rejects calls to abolish the International Criminal Court, arguing instead that the institution should be strengthened to hold perpetrators of crimes against humanity accountable. Ablakwa, speaking at a session marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration, said the ICC "needs our protection, not our condemnation" and called for severe consequences for those who commit such crimes.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa told the UN General Assembly that Ghana rejects calls to abolish the International Criminal Court, arguing instead that the institution should be strengthened to hold perpetrators of crimes against humanity accountable. Ablakwa, speaking at a session marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration, said the ICC "needs our protection, not our condemnation" and called for severe consequences for those who commit such crimes.
Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa told the UN General Assembly that the International Criminal Court should be strengthened rather than abolished to hold perpetrators of crimes against humanity accountable. Ablakwa, speaking at a session marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration, also urged action against racism, racial discrimination, and historical injustice, and questioned Africa's exclusion from the UN Security Council's permanent membership.
The Kenyan High Commissioner to Ghana hosted Heads of Mission from 25 African countries for consultations on shared interests, including advancing Kenya's candidatures for the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, and promoting Kenya Airways connectivity in West Africa.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva commended Ghana's President Mahama for leading a UN General Assembly resolution, adopted in March with 123 votes in favor, that declared the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and racialised chattel slavery the "gravest crime against humanity." The resolution was spearheaded by Mahama alongside the African Union and CARICOM, and faced 3 votes against and 52 abstentions.
The International Criminal Court convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, a former Seleka militia leader from the Central African Republic, of four counts of crimes against humanity, including torture and persecution. Prosecutors alleged he oversaw beatings and torture of suspected supporters of former President Francois Bozizé in Bangui; Said is the first Seleka member convicted by the ICC.
Workers discovered a mass grave in Sri Lanka's Jaffna region while extending a cremation ground in February; by August, archaeologists had excavated skeletal remains of 572 people, including children, believed to be the largest mass grave ever found in Sri Lanka. Families of those who disappeared during the country's civil war hope the discovery will provide answers about what happened to their loved ones.
A report unveiled at the University of Lagos argues that the ecological harm caused by British colonial rule on African colonies constitutes a separate category of damage distinct from historical harms, with a potential valuation exceeding hundreds of trillions of dollars. The report's lead author argues that systematic resource appropriation under colonialism has created a devastating ecological debt capable of rigorous monetary valuation.
South African Minister Ronald Lamola rejected allegations over the country's treatment of foreign migrants, asserting South Africa's sovereign right to enforce immigration laws while condemning isolated acts of violence. He noted that 82 people have been arrested for looting and vandalism, stating that authorities have the situation under control.
Ibrahim Mahama has committed resources to support the second phase evacuation of an estimated 1,000 Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks. The Government had earlier evacuated 926 citizens and provided each returnee with GH¢5,000 reintegration allowance and GH¢500 transportation support.
South African authorities are investigating the death of 42-year-old Nigerian Ibeh Chika Simon, who collapsed while being arrested by Cape Town police; a post-mortem showed multiple bruises and abrasions on his back and chest. Nigeria's consul general condemned the incident and alleged a pattern of unresolved deaths and misconduct against foreign nationals, amid heightened tensions over xenophobic violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he planned to attend the UN General Assembly in New York City this autumn despite NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's threat to arrest him based on an ICC warrant. Netanyahu told Fox News he was "not concerned" about the threat and accused Mamdani of "fomenting hate," while the mayor has since walked back the arrest threat, acknowledging he lacked the legal power to do so.
Former Tamale Central MP Inusah Fuseini argues that a U.S. immigration judge had no legal authority to make conclusive pronouncements on former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta's criminal case in Ghana. Fuseini contends the judge's mandate was limited to determining immigration status, not ruling on criminal allegations pending before Ghanaian courts.
The International Criminal Court has voted to dismiss prosecutor Karim Khan, elected in 2021, over alleged sexual misconduct involving a junior staff member and attempts to obstruct her complaint. Khan has denied the allegations, with his lawyers calling the suspension procedurally unfair, while supporters worry the scandal could weaken the permanent war-crimes tribunal.
South Africa has rejected a petition filed by two Ghanaians at the International Criminal Court seeking an investigation into attacks on foreigners, calling it "opportunistic" and arguing its own legal system can handle such matters. Ghana has repatriated citizens following anti-migrant violence and claims one of its nationals was killed, though South African authorities deny this.
Two Ghanaians have submitted a petition to the International Criminal Court alleging a pattern of widespread and systematic attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa, accusing the government of failing to prevent or punish such crimes. South Africa has experienced a surge in anti-immigrant violence in recent months, resulting in deaths, assaults, and the displacement of tens of thousands of migrants.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had pledged to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited, now says he lacks the legal authority to do so. He has instead called on the US federal government to join the ICC and enforce its arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister over alleged war crimes.
William Nyarko, Executive Director of the Africa Center for International Law and Accountability, has called for Africa's early warning systems to be matched by timely political action, arguing that failure to act on credible warnings continues to cost lives across the continent. Speaking at a conference on mass atrocity prevention, Nyarko noted that while progress has been made in detecting risks of mass atrocities over the past decade, preventive action has too often lagged behind early warning.
Two US-based advocacy groups are suing the Trump administration, arguing that sanctions imposed against the International Criminal Court and Palestinian human rights groups violate free speech rights by suppressing pro-Palestinian advocacy. The groups say the February 2025 executive order illegally "police the political expression of millions of Americans," while Washington defends the sanctions as necessary to protect American citizens and allies.
A Sudanese court has issued death sentences against Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and fifteen other high-ranking commanders, finding them guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide related to the conflict in West Darfur. The proceedings, conducted in absentia, cited the June 2023 assassination of state governor Khamis Abbakar and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure including residential areas, schools, and houses of worship.
Niger's military government has formally requested to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, becoming only the third country after Burundi and the Philippines to complete the process, amid concerns that such withdrawals during periods of authoritarian consolidation and human rights allegations leave victims without recourse to international justice.
Former ICC judge Justice Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu has warned that the global security landscape is undergoing profound transformation, with new forms of conflict, violent extremism and emerging military technologies posing serious challenges to international peace and civilian protection. Speaking at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre's 15th Graduation Ceremony in Accra, she urged graduating peace and security scholars to apply their knowledge to address complex conflicts confronting nations.
Niger has submitted its formal withdrawal request from the ICC, nine months after announcing its intent to leave in September 2025 alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, calling the court an "instrument of neo-colonialist repression." The withdrawal takes effect one year after notification, with Niger remaining bound to the court's obligations until then.
The International Criminal Court has suspended chief prosecutor Karim Khan with immediate effect while an investigation into misconduct allegations continues. The 125 member states will vote on Khan's future in a special session; Khan denies all allegations and his lawyers have contested the suspension as unlawful.
A private legal practitioner has argued that former MASLOC Chief Executive Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu's 10-year prison sentence will likely commence from the date she is taken into custody in Ghana, rather than from the court's pronouncement date, to avoid what he describes as a legal absurdity.
The Philippine Senate went into lockdown as military and police entered the building where Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged killings during the drug war under ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, had sought refuge; gunshots were heard and protesters outside demanded his detention.
A coordinated assault by the CODECO militia in late April killed at least 69 people in northeastern DR Congo's Ituri province, reportedly in retaliation for an earlier attack by the Hema-affiliated CRP group. The violence reflects an ongoing ethnic conflict between the Lendu and Hema communities in the mineral-rich region.
The Philippine House of Representatives has voted to impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte for a second time over alleged misuse of public funds and public threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and others; the matter now moves to the Senate for trial, where conviction would disqualify her from public office and derail her 2028 presidential ambitions.
A judicial officer reflects on Workers' Day, arguing that Ghana's judges, magistrates, and court staff—whose labour preserves justice—deserve greater public acknowledgement and must transition from endurance to renewal, with outstanding questions of welfare and dignity requiring completion.
The International Criminal Court has issued a reparations order mandating $8.4 million in compensation to victims of Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, who was convicted of torture and religious persecution during his role as head of the Islamic police in Timbuktu in 2012. Since Al Hassan is indigent and serving a 10-year sentence, the Trust Fund for Victims will be responsible for the payment to more than 65,000 recognised victims in the case.