Senegal has expressed strong disapproval of the recent sanctions imposed by the United States on four officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including Senegalese judge Mame Mandiaye Niang, describing the measures as a threat to the independence of international justice.
In a statement sent to APA, the Senegalese government called on Washington to lift the sanctions, which it labelled a serious violation of judicial independence and a restriction on magistrates’ ability to carry out their duties “freely and calmly,” as mandated by the 125 States Parties to the Rome Statute.
“As the first country to ratify the Rome Statute, Senegal reaffirms its full solidarity with Judge Niang and the other magistrates concerned, while reiterating its unwavering support for the ICC in its mission to serve international criminal justice,” the statement read.
Dakar urged all States Parties to reaffirm their support for the court and ensure that judges and staff can perform their duties independently, free from threats or external pressures.
On social media, the Senegalese Prime Minister praised President Bassirou Diomaye Faye for his “enlightened leadership and firm stance in support of the International Criminal Court, and especially our compatriot Mame Mandiaye Niang.”
He added: “I wish to express my personal, total and unwavering support to our compatriot, whose deep commitment to the fundamental and sacred principles of justice I witnessed during his last visit to Dakar.
The government of Senegal will stand resolutely at his side to confront these unjust and unfounded measures by the United States of America.”
The sanctions, announced jointly by the US State Department and Treasury Department, also target French judge Nicolas Yann Guillou, Fijian judge Nazhat Shameem Khan, and Canadian prosecutor Kimberly Prost.
The measures follow ICC-issued arrest warrants last November against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio defended the sanctions on Wednesday, saying: “The ICC continues to violate national sovereignty and foster legal warfare by seeking to investigate, arrest, detain, and prosecute U.S. and Israeli nationals.
In response, I am sanctioning four additional ICC officials. We will continue to hold accountable those responsible for the morally and legally baseless actions of the ICC against Americans and Israelis.”
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