The International Criminal Court has sworn in the new chief prosecutor,  Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda earlier this week, who vowed to seek justice for victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

51-year old Bensouda becomes not only the first woman, but also the first African to lead the ICC, at a time when all 15 cases present at the court are African.

Taking up her 9-year term, Bensouda stated,

“First of all, let me say that yes, I am an African and I am very proud of that... But I am a prosecutor for 121 states parties.”

“Laurence Gbagbo [of the ivory Coast] is our first case... There will be others.”

Stating that she was “humbled” by the appointment, she went on to say,

 “As I speak, massive crimes continue to be committed in Darfur (Sudan); Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army’s acts of violence continue unabated in central Africa.”

“Nothing short of arresting all those against whom warrants have been issued will ensure that justice is done for millions of victims of the crimes committed by these fugitives.”

"We should not be guided by the words and propaganda of a few influential individuals whose sole aim is to evade justice but, rather, we should focus on, and listen to the millions of victims who continue to suffer from massive crimes."

Bensouda also commented on the court’s failure to intervene in areas where it had no jurisdiction, saying,

“Syria is a case in point. It’s not a member of the ICC, we do not have jurisdiction over Syria unless the U.N. Security Council were to refer Syria to us.”

Commenting on Bensouda’s appointment, Willam Pace, the head of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, stated that she was “extremely qualified to lead the office of the prosecutor” and her selection would "reinforce the ICC's growing position as a major force in global peace and security affairs".