Highlights: In South Africa, the ANC has not called for withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. The country has been a signatory to the Rome Statute since 1998. Previous attempts to leave the court, such as in 2016, have already failed. This new confusion illustrates Pretoria's ambiguity with regard to the ICC, says RFI's Romain Chanson. "From the ANC's point of view, Vladimir Putin can come here whenever he wants," says Mbalula. "The ICC does not serve the common interest, but the interest of a few," says Ramaphosa.

Confusion over South Africa's continued ICC

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague (illustration image) 路透社 © REUTERS/Eva Plevier/File Photo

Text by: RFI Follow

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In South Africa, the ANC has not called for withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Late turnaround Tuesday evening, April 25 of the ruling party after the remarks of its secretary general of the ANC, Fikile Mbalula, and President Cyril Ramaphosa. In two separate press conferences, the two men discussed South Africa's withdrawal from the ICC as unfair. The country has been a signatory to the Rome Statute since 1998 and previous attempts to leave the court, such as in 2016, have already failed. This new confusion illustrates Pretoria's ambiguity with regard to the ICC.

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With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Romain Chanson

South Africa has been in trouble since an international arrest warrant was issued for Vladimir Putin. The Russian president is invited to the BRICS summit in South Africa in August and Pretoria would have the obligation to stop him.

Since the issuance of the warrant, the ICC has been the subject of criticism from the ANC as well as from its Secretary General Fikile Mbalula. "As the ANC conference said, the ICC does not serve the common interest, but the interest of a few. But from the ANC's point of view, Vladimir Putin can come here whenever he wants.

At the press conference, Fikile Mbalula said the ANC had passed a resolution to leave the International Criminal Court. However, the opposite is true: in December, the ANC voted to cancel a withdrawal procedure. But in the meantime, President Cyril Ramaphosa backed up his secretary-general's comments at a separate press conference: "Yes, the ANC, the ruling party, has decided that it would be prudent for South Africa to withdraw from the ICC.

Late in the evening, the ANC issued a statement backtracking and saying that no immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court was envisaged.

STATEMENT ON THE CLARIFICATION OF THE ANC POSITION ON THE ICC. pic.twitter.com/ZWOuBb2z8N

Confusion over South Africa's continued ICC

Confusion over South Africa's continued ICC

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