The African Union (AU) has expressed dismay after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) disregarded pan-African body’s requests to defer the ICC trials of sitting African head of states.

In a statement issued on Saturday the AU said the requests "has not yielded the positive result expected."

The AU was referring to the cases of Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto who are accused by the International Criminal Court of committing crimes against humanity.

They are accused of being behind the post-presidential election violence in 2007 which claimed the lives of over 1,000 people.

Kenyatta and Ruto have both denied the charges.

With regard to Sudanese president, it said AU’s request to the UN Security Council to defer the trials against Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir "has not been acted upon to date".

Bashir is charged of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide during the conflict in Darfur.

The 54-member continental bloc urged all member states to "speak with one voice" to thwart the ICC proceedings against sitting African presidents.

"African states parties should comply with African Union decisions on the ICC and continue to speak with one voice."

The AU said the united stance is to ensure that the African proposals calling for amendment on the Rome Statute, in accordance with Article 121 of the Statute are considered by the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) as well as the issue is inscribed on the agenda by the forthcoming sessions of the to the Rome Statute.

Botswana is the only African country which protested against the Union’s decision calling for a united stand against the ICC. Continues

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