The targeting of Africa by the ICC during its close to two decades of existence was inappropriate. The criticism that the exclusive targeting of Africa was a subterfuge by former colonial powers to recolonise Africa through international criminal justice at the ICC was not without merit. The EU-ACP Cotonou Agreement conditionality on ICC memberships for EU cooperation assistance was condescending and tantamounted to economic and political blackmail. The ICC did not represent the face of the universe which it was established to serve. It is conceded that crimes coming within the jurisdiction of the Rome Statute were committed in Africa, but the said crimes were not committed entirely by Africans. ' Minerals for Weapons' merchants were often state and non-state actors operating from outside the continent of Africa. Many of the crimes were activated by neo-colonial treaties directly linked to the economic interests of erstwhile colonial powers who supplied the weapons with which the crimes were committed. Former colonial power France for example, had a robust military and economic presence in Central Africa Republic where alleged crimes coming within the jurisdiction of the ICC were committed with French supplied weapons in violation of intentional conventions on the proliferation of small weapons. Suppliers of arms knowing that they were to be used to commit atrocity crimes were neither investigated nor prosecuted. ICC prosecutions targeted the vanquished in situation countries. In the Situation in Northern Uganda, not a single member of the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) was prosecuted. In Cote D' Ivoire French Forces who were directly involved in combat operations which targeted civilians and civilian objects and forces and armed groups allied with victors were not prosecuted.

Recent sanctions against ICC Prosecutor and ICC Judges targeted in the majority Judges of African origin and all the sanctioned judges are women from developing countries. The strategic political message conveyed by these sanctions is obvious. The sanctions are political instruments of impunity and an affront to international justice. It is unfortunate that the sanctions have not been met with a robust condemnation by the Bureau of the ASP, EU, UN General Assembly and have not received strong support and protections required to keep and sustain this unique universal mechanism of justice for a safer, peaceful and just world for the collective good of humanity.