As She Finishes Her Mandate
Gambia’s Fatou Bensouda has sent a strong message to the world as her nine year stint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) came to an end last Tuesday June 15th 2021.
“To be effective, to be just and to be a real deterrent, the Office of the Prosecutor’s activities and decisions must always be based solely on the law, without fear or favour,” the former ICC Prosecutor was quoted saying.
Mrs. Bensouda has served the ‘‘Court’’ since 2004, first as Deputy Prosecutor. Mr. Karim Asad Ahmad Khan who replaces Mrs. Bensouda has been sworn in as Prosecutor of the ICC on Wednesday 16th June 2021. This was indicated and confirmed in a press release from the public affairs unit of the ICC.
The dispatch stated that in the past week, a number of farewell events were held in honour of the outgoing Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) whose nine-year mandate at the head of this Office has come to an end on Tuesday 15th June 2021.
“At the different events, the Principals and staff of the Court, State representatives and a range of distinguished attendees, thanked former Prosecutor Bensouda for her dedicated service to the ICC, for nearly two decades.
Interventions through live remarks or video contributions noted the accomplishments of the former Prosecutor and her lasting legacy, as well as the significant challenges which have marked her term and which she has overcome with grace, resilience and professional integrity,” the release stated.
Speakers included inter alia, UN Deputy Secretary-General H.E. Ms Amina J. Mohammed; ICC President, Judge Piotr Hofmański; ICC Registrar Peter Lewis; ICC Deputy Prosecutor James Stewart, President of the Assembly of State Parties (ASP) Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi; former President of the ASP Judge O-Gon Kwon; Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands Sigrid Kaag; Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia Dr. Mamadou Tangara; Minister of Justice (Attorney General) of The Gambia Dawda A. Jallow; UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs & Legal Counsel Miguel de Serpa Soares; Ambassador of Senegal H.E. Momar Gueye; Ambassador of The Gambia Tenengmba Jaiteh; Acting Governor of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court Melinda Reed and former US Prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials Benjamin Ferencz.
