Many African leaders believe that they are above the law. Thus, for many of them, the laws of their countries do not apply to them but only to their subjects. Their role is to make sure that everyone else follows the laws they make but when it comes to them following the laws, they wriggle and writhe around it like snakes. This is clearly seen in many of the constitutional crises and elections rigging which we have on the continent. African leaders just do not think laws should apply to them. How can laws apply to law itself?
The latest ploy of African leaders to place themselves above the law is the recent circus of the African Union where African leaders have requested that sitting heads of state be exempt from prosecution by the International Criminal Court. In other words, no matter the crime with which one is charged, as soon as they become president, they should be immune from prosecution until the end of their tenure. Given that African leaders hardly leave power once they enter it, this may never happen. And so in the end they would have to go free.
The usual excuse which failed African leaders often give when attention is called to their crimes is that they are being unfairly targeted by the West. Even though these leaders often cooperate with the West to fleece their own people, they play the victimization card when it comes to holding them accountable for their crimes. Mr. Kofi Anan and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have rightly called them out for this malicious attempt to evade the law. African leaders may be above the law in their countries but they should not be allowed to be above the law internationally. Their culture of impunity and corruption has to stop.
The latest ploy of African leaders to place themselves above the law is the recent circus of the African Union where African leaders have requested that sitting heads of state be exempt from prosecution by the International Criminal Court. In other words, no matter the crime with which one is charged, as soon as they become president, they should be immune from prosecution until the end of their tenure. Given that African leaders hardly leave power once they enter it, this may never happen. And so in the end they would have to go free.
The usual excuse which failed African leaders often give when attention is called to their crimes is that they are being unfairly targeted by the West. Even though these leaders often cooperate with the West to fleece their own people, they play the victimization card when it comes to holding them accountable for their crimes. Mr. Kofi Anan and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have rightly called them out for this malicious attempt to evade the law. African leaders may be above the law in their countries but they should not be allowed to be above the law internationally. Their culture of impunity and corruption has to stop.
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