Analysts Say ICC Withdrawal Would Not Solve S. Africa's Putin Dilemma

EWN cites comments from the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), whose analysts note that even if South Africa decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, it would take a year for this decision to take effect.

• This comes after the Presidency issued a clarification last night, noting that the country is not looking to pull out of the ICC, while President Ramaphosa's earlier statement suggesting the contrary was "erroneous."
• The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court stipulates that a party's "withdrawal shall take effect one year after the date of receipt of the notification, unless the notification specifies a later date."
• The treaty further says that a state's "withdrawal shall not affect any cooperation with the Court in connection with criminal investigations and proceedings in relation to which the withdrawing State had a duty to cooperate and which were commenced prior to the date on which the withdrawal became effective."
  
• South Africa faces a conundrum related to its invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin to a BRICS summit this August. The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin, obliging parties to the Rome Statute to detain him.
• The SAIIA's Steven Grudz said that if the initial suggestions that South Africa might withdraw from the ICC had something to do with Putin's potential visit, "we just don't have enough time on the clock."