Press Release: 15 October 2019

ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, concludes visit to Abuja, Nigeria

ICC-OTP-20191015-PR1488
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ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda & Vice President of Nigeria, H.E. Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja

On Monday, 14 October 2019, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court"), Mrs Fatou Bensouda, concluded a two-day visit to Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was her fourth mission to this situation country.

During her visit, Prosecutor Bensouda met with the Vice President of Nigeria, H.E. Mr Yemi Osinbajo, to discuss the Nigerian Government's support and cooperation with the preliminary examination of the situation in Nigeria currently being conducted by the Office of the Prosecutor ("Office").

The Prosecutor reiterated her commitment to this process, and updated the Vice President on the status of the preliminary examination. She underscored that in accordance with the principle of complementarity, the primary responsibility to investigate and prosecute crimes allegedly committed by Boko Haram and the Nigerian security forces falls on the Nigerian authorities. The Prosecutor welcomed the submission of additional information on national proceedings from the Nigerian Government to facilitate her Office's ongoing analysis and assessment of the applicable Rome Statute criteria.

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ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, concludes visit to Abuja, Nigeria

The Vice-President reaffirmed Nigeria's firm commitment to the ICC and assured of its continued cooperation with the Office.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC conducts independent and impartial preliminary examinations, investigations and prosecutions of the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Since 2003, the Office has been conducting investigations in multiple situations within the ICC's jurisdiction, namely in Uganda; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Darfur, Sudan; the Central African Republic (two distinct situations); Kenya; Libya; Côte d'Ivoire; Mali; Georgia and Burundi. The Office is also currently conducting preliminary examinations relating to the situations in Colombia; Guinea; Iraq/UK; Palestine; the Philippines; Nigeria; Ukraine, and Venezuela.

For further details on "preliminary examinations" and "situations and cases" before the Court, click here, and here.

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Source: Office of the Prosecutor | Contact: [email protected]