The future of the International Criminal Court in African Crisis and its Relationship with the R2P Project.

Abstract

The article focuses on the activities and reception of the International Criminal Court in the continent that thus far has most eagerly welcomed its ideals; Africa. The trajectory charted is one which starts from a note of extreme enthusiasm from states' leaders to civil society alike, to one of disaffection and disillusionment due to the discriminate nature of the application of universal jurisdiction hinting at a an attempt towards new forms of colonialism. This has resulted in the discussions noted concerning an African alternative to the ICC. The article concludes that even with possible emergence of an African alternative to the ICC in the form of the expanded functions of the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights, the future of the ICC and R2P in Africa will centre on the co-operation of the States of the continent, which in turn necessitates that the future conduct of the ICC, nor the invocation of R2P, does not continue on its trajectory of African alienation.