Thabo Mbeki on Al Jazeera: Justice cannot trump peace
On Saturday's Talk To Al Jazeera, former South African President Thabo Mbeki explained to Mike Hanna why he is critical of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and efforts to impose justice on Africa from the "outside," when the entire focus should be on bringing peace to the continent.
Mbeki succeeded Nelson Mandela as South African president in 1999. Since his time in office ended, he has been involved in the affairs of the wider continent.
He knows all the major players in Africa's trouble spots, including one of the most violent areas, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a 10-year bloody war may finally be reaching an end after the deployment of a more robust UN peacekeeping operation there.
Mbeki discussed the recent developments in the DRC, as well as the ongoing dispute between the two Sudans, where Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir is wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Mbeki is personally involved in the Sudan situation in his role as a UN representative overseeing negotiations between the neighbours. But does he believe that justice comes before peace?