Dec
14
2011
By Bruce Zagaris
On December 12, the Assembly of States by acclamation names a lawyer from gamibia, Fatou bensouda, the new chief prosecutor of the International Court of Justice. The election comes as the ICC is adjudicating six cases involving Afria (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Uganda, the Ivory Coast, Sudan, and Libya), in which women are often the victims.
Her election also comes as the ICC has pressed Malawi to the UN Security Council for their failure to arrest and surrender Sudanese President Omar Al-bashir during his visits to both countries.
The fact that Ms. Bensouda has served as deputy chief prosecutor has brings continuity, which is useful since she is only the second chief prosecutor for the ICC.