The International Criminal Court is set to establish a liaison office in Addis Ababa, to acquaint African countries with its work.

The decision eases the discomfort of African member states to the Rome Statute.

They were fearing that The Hague was stalling on financing the liaison office after African countries resolved not to cooperate with the ICC in arresting and handing over Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir.

Attorney-general Amos Wako, who was mandated by African countries to write to the ICC to question the delay, was yesterday happy that finally, The Hague had agreed to fund the office.

"Those are good news because African member-states to the Rome Statute were concerned about the inactivity of the ICC when it had agreed to set up the office. It is a good reply to the letter that I wrote on their behalf," he said.

The decision to go ahead with financing of the liaison office, which will play the diplomatic role for the ICC, was reached at a weekend meeting between The Hague president, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, and the chairman of the African Union Commission, Mr Jean Ping, in Addis Ababa.

(Daily   Nation)