Côte d’Ivoire has sealed a bilateral deal with the United States giving their citizens immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC), an official statement issued here said on Tuesday.
The accord, which the statement said was signed into law by President Laurent Gbagbo, exempts US citizens from being extradited from Ivory Coast to The Hague-based ICC.
”The signature of this accord is in the obvious interests of Côte d’Ivoire for both financial as military relations with the United States,” it said.
Washington — which vehemently opposes the ICC, the world’s first permanent tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity — has secured immunity agreements with more than 60 countries since the court came into existence in July 2002, according to the State Department.
The United States fears the court could become a forum for politically motivated prosecutions of US citizens, especially soldiers deployed abroad, and has been on a worldwide campaign to sign bilateral immunity deals.
In July, the government of US President George Bush suspended nearly $50-million in military aid to 35 countries who had refused to sign non-extradition agreements with it.
Four countries later signed the deal, and Washington last week said it would resume aid to them.
Ten African countries are among the ICC signatory states who have not accorded immunity to US citizens, according to a State Department count: Benin, Central African Republic, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. – Sapa-AFP