Of all the gnawing issues, the one that could easily snowball into genocide is the so-called “Fulanisation” currently evolving in the South of the country. One of the founding principles of the ICC, as stated in the preamble to the Rome Statute, is the prevention of mass atrocities by punishing those most responsible for them. Having voluntarily opted to become a state party, the rule of customary international law – pacta sunt servanda – which requires all States to honour their treaties, makes the Rome Statute binding on Nigeria. It is also a no-brainer that Fulanisation of Nigeria by means of a jihad, successful or not, would entail unspeakable acts of violence constituting the elements of genocide and crimes against humanity. ConcludedJegede is a legal practitioner and former prosecutor at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Source: The Guardian July 06, 2021 02:37 UTC