Guinea Minister visits the ICC - Prosecutor Requests Information on National Investigations into 28 September Violence
On 20 October 2009, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guinea, his Excellency Alexandre Cécé Loua, visited the International Criminal Court and met with officials of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) in The Hague. The Minister had closed discussions with Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who is also the OTP's focal point for issues of sexual violence, and Head of the OTP's Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division Beatrice Le Fraper du Hellen.
Minister Loua described the events of 28 September 2009 in Conakry and set out what measures had been taken by the Guinean authorities to ensure that the crimes allegedly committed would be suitably investigated. He stated that the national judiciary was "able and willing" to proceed. OTP Officials handed Minister Loua a letter requesting written information on the crimes and on modalities put in place for conducting national investigations and prosecutions of those responsible and confirmed that Guinea had the primary responsibility to conduct proceedings. "Guinea is a State party, the Court is your Court, working together we will ensure that there will be no impunity for the crimes committed," Deputy Prosecutor Bensouda told the Minister.
The International Criminal Court is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes if national authorities with jurisdiction are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.
On 14 October 2009, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo confirmed that the situation in Guinea was under preliminary examination by his Office.
For more information, please contact:
OTP Media Liaison Nicola Fletcher (French)
+31 (0) 70 515 8071 (office)
+31 (0) 650 890 473 (mobile)
OTP Public Information Coordinator Florence Olara
+31 (0) 70 515 8723 (office)
+31 (0) 6 5029 4476 (mobile)