Salva Kiir backs Uhuru against ICC

Presidents Salva Kiir of South Sudan (second left) during the inaguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta.  

By MACHEL AMOS in Juba
Posted  Friday, May 24  2013 at  04:26

 

South Sudan President Salva Kiir has expressed his opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) charges against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto.

Mr Kiir, after a meeting with Mr Uhuru, said he has rejected pleas to have his country sign up for the Rome Statute for the reason that it was meant to humiliate African leaders.

“Whatever has been written in Rome has never been used against any one of their presidents or head of state. It seems that this thing has been meant for African leaders, that they have to be humiliated,” Kiir told a press conference on Thursday.

“It is something that we have been very straight forward about, and we will never accept it. They have been giving us a condition that we have to sign the Rome Statue so that we gain assistance, but we have refused,” he said.

Mr Kiir also said the meeting discussed the construction of a major road linking South Sudan with Kenya.

He said that the two countries will be taking ambitious projects, like LAPSET to link up the two countries, one after another.

Mr Uhuru, who stopped over in Juba while heading for the African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, said the meeting discussed ways to boost economic relations.

and that his administration will deepen the relationship to ensure that the economic ties of two nations are boosted for the mutual prosperity.