The government of Lesotho has expressed great concern that one of its citizens, Phakiso Mochochoko, who is Head of the Jurisdiction Cooperation Division at the International Criminal Court, has been blacklisted by the United States of America.
Mchochoko has been banned from entering US grounds together with the ICC prosecutor Fatou from The Gambia. They together with their families will not be allowed to enter the US after they were found investigating US citizens suspected of committing crimes under the Rome Statute, which deals with crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
In March 2020, the ICC authorized an investigation into the possible war crimes in Afghanistan including those that may have been committed by the US military and the CIA, which could lead to the indictment of the US, military and intelligence personnel.
“As a state party to the Rome Statute, Lesotho is fully committed to justice and the rule of law at international level. In this context, Lesotho will support all peaceful efforts at the multilateral aimed at finding a lasting solution to this problem. Moreover, the government of Lesotho has initiated bilateral consultations with the government of the United States of America intended to secure an amicable solution to this issue,” reads a ministry of foreign affairs statement released at the weekend.
