Johannesburg: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tuesday announced that his country will quit the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin in March. However, few hours later, his office retracted the statement leading to confusion.

The ICC last month issued arrest warrant against Putin for alleged war crimes. The charges include unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia in February last year.

The Russian President has been invited in South Africa for a meeting of the BRICS group of emerging nations in August that would take place in Johannesburg, however, with the warrant against his name, he would have to be detained soon after his arrival in Pretoria.

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Why Ramaphosa wants South Africa to pull out of ICC?

During a press conference co-hosted with President of Finland Sauli Niinisto on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said: “The governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), has taken the decision that it is prudent that South Africa should pull out of the ICC largely because of the manner in which the ICC has been seen to be dealing with these types of problems.”

The South African president said that the decision was reached “largely” because of what is perceived as ICC’s “unfair treatment of certain countries.”

“We would like this matter of unfair treatment to be properly discussed, but in the meantime, the governing party has decided once again that there should be a pull-out,” he added.

‘Error in comment’

However, within hours, Ramaphosa’s office issued a statement saying: “The presidency wishes to clarify that South Africa remains a signatory (to the ICC).”

“The clarification follows an error in a comment made during a media briefing held by the governing African National Congress,” the statement said.

Why there’s issue on South Africa pulling out of ICC?

South Africa is a signatory to the ICC’s founding document, the Rome statute, and it would be entitled to abide the arrest warrant against Putin. Therefore, if the Russian President travels to Johannesburg for BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – meet, Ramaphosa’s government will have to arrest him.

Also, if South Africa decides to leave the ICC, it would still be bound by its membership obligations for 12 months following its notification of withdrawal.

Not for the first time

In 2016, South Africa had made an attempt to withdraw from ICC following a dispute a year earlier when Sudan’s then-President Omar al-Bashir visited the country for an African Union summit.

The then government in South Africa refused to arrest Omar al-Bashir despite him facing an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.

Russia-South Africa bonhomie

The ruling party in South Africa, ANC, appears to be a true friend of Russia as it has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine.

Responding to media on whether South Africa would arrest Putin, Ramaphosa, on Tuesday, said “that matter is under consideration”.

With inputs from agencies

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