Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, is travelling to Accra, Ghana, on Monday to participate in a high-level retreat on the Kampala Amendments and International Criminal Justice from May 19 to 21, 2025.
The retreat will bring together Ministers of Justice and senior officials from all 33 African States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as representatives from the ICC Presidency, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), the ICC Trust Fund for Victims, African Union officials, and international legal experts.
These amendments define the Crime of Aggression and establish the conditions under which the ICC can exercise jurisdiction over it, said Terrence Manase, spokesperson to the Minister.
According to Manase, an act of aggression includes using armed force by one state against another in violation of the United Nations (UN) Charter, such as invasion, military occupation, annexation by force, bombardment, or blockade.
“The Ministry welcomes this opportunity for meaningful engagement and continental collaboration as African States continue to shape a credible and effective international criminal justice system.”
“Minister Kubayi’s participation highlights the country’s support for multilateralism, the fight against impunity, and the advancement of an inclusive and balanced global justice system,” he said.
The retreat builds on a successful pilot meeting held in Johannesburg in October 2024, which raised awareness and fostered a sense of ownership among African States Parties in advocating for a fair and legitimate crime of aggression regime.
“The Johannesburg retreat was a turning point. It laid the foundation for Africa to speak with one voice on the issue of aggression and the future of international justice,” said Manase.
“This next phase in Accra is about consolidating that progress and finalising a unified African position.”
Manase noted that the Kampala Amendments on the Crime of Aggression are a set of legal changes adopted in 2010 at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), held in Kampala, Uganda.
The retreat, organised in partnership with the Ministries of Justice of Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, will further deliberate on an amendment proposal submitted by the Group of Friends (GoF), a coalition of supportive states.
“The Minister views this as an essential step in strengthening the global justice system from an African perspective,” Manase said.
Manase said the goal is to finalise a unified African position on the Kampala Amendments ahead of discussions at the Assembly of States Parties.
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