Kenya warns of ICC threat to Eastern Africa's stability

1 of 2. Uhuru Kenyatta (R) and a member of the Defense Council attend a hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague September 21, 2011.

Kenya said the International Criminal Court's case against its two highest elected officials risked destabilising the entire east African region at a meeting of the court's member states on Thursday.

At a debate to discuss the crisis resulting from the court's cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, the Kenyan attorney-general said the court and its member states were playing "Russian roulette" with the country.

"Our country is the linchpin in the peace and security involving more than 250 million people from Djibouti to Eastern Congo and everybody in between," Githu Muigai told a special debate called at the request of the African Union.

He said Kenya - an ally of the West in the fight against militant Islam in neighbouring Somalia - was a "pillar of security" in Eastern Africa, to loud applause from many African delegates at the conference.
Kenyatta and Ruto face separate charges of crimes against humanity for their alleged role in stoking ethnic violence in the aftermath of an election in 2007 when 1,200 people were killed.

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