Release Date: 6^th February, 2015 

 

A team from the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) held a meeting yesterday with Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria on ongoing ICC’s preliminary examination of Nigerians situation and upcoming general elections.

The purpose of the meeting was to update the CSOs and request continued information on violations of human rights, humanitarian laws and atrocity crimes in Nigeria. The team explained its role in demanding from Nigerian government compliance with its duty obligations to prosecute those who commit violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

They explained that experience has shown that previous general elections in Nigeria are characterized by violence and informed CSOs that their mission in the country is to remind the politicians to curtail provoking violence before, during and after the elections. The team urged CSOs to undertake public enlightenment to encourage Nigerians to reject violence and embrace peace as a country goes into elections this month.

CSOs agreed to collaborate with the ICC prosecutor on peaceful election education. In this regard, it was agreed that the ICC prosecutor will give a digital sound bite to her recent public statement calling for peaceful elections in Nigeria. CSOs undertake to widely broadcast the sound bite to add to the voice for reducing conflicts in the elections.

 

 

Chino Obiagwu

NCICC Chair

 

 

Onyinye Oguamah

NCICC Coordinator