Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has urged South Africa to discuss its problems with the International Criminal Court (ICC) from within the court rather than leaving it.
Rutte was commenting on the recent decision by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to withdraw South Africa from the ICC.
ANC made the decision after a row ensued between the country and the court over its failure to arrest Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, a fugitive from the ICC, when he visited the country in June to attend an Africa Union (AU) summit.
South Africa feels that ICC did not give it proper opportunity to explain that it could not arrest al Bashir as he was a guest of the AU and not South Africa.
Rutte said that despite ANC’s decision to pull South Africa from the ICC, he had no doubt that the country was “still attached to the international legal order.”
The Dutch PM said that he was looking forward to the leargest Dutch trade mission’s visit to South Africa, with more than 65 Dutch companies exploring ample opportunities mostly in agriculture, water management, transport logistics, health care and energy.
