Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested arrest warrants for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as well as his son Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah Al-Sanousi.  This follows the Court's investigation into the situation in Libya since attacks on civilians began there in February. 

The ICC began investigating potential crimes against humanity in Libya in March 2011, days after the situation in that country was referred to the Court by the United Nations Security Council.  In his statement today, Prosecutor Ocampo noted that "The evidence shows that Muammar Gaddafi, personally, ordered attacks on unarmed Libyan civilians. His forces attacked Libyan civilians in their homes and in the public space, repressed demonstrations with live ammunition, used heavy artillery against participants in funeral processions, and placed snipers to kill those leaving mosques after the prayers.  The evidence shows that such persecution is still ongoing, as I speak today, in the areas under Gaddafi control....(m)ost of the victims are Libyans, but the widespread and systematic attacks against them are affecting the international community as a whole. The crimes are crimes against humanity."

Sixteen years ago, a bloody killing rampage began in Rwanda on April 7th and continued for 100 days. Organized by the majority Hutus, the genocide was ethnically motivated and systematically executed against the Tutsi minority population in Rwanda. The campaign was sparked by the assassination of President Habyarimana, and radical Hutus accused Tutsis rebels of being responsible for his death. Compounded by the country's history of civil war, this led to the widespread rape and murder of Tutsis and even moderate Hutus. The tragic failure of the international community to act rapidly and effectively once the killings began - or even beforehand - left as many as 1 million dead by July 1994. UN Security Council members refused to commit troops to the tiny UN force in Kigali. The horrific episode has left an indelible mark on many, affirming the vow that genocide will happen "never again."

On November 5, 2009 ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that crimes against humanity had been committed during the 2007 post-election violence in Kenya and that the ICC would begin a formal investigation.  The crimes being investigated occurred when Mwai Kibaki was reelected as President, defeating Raila Odinga. The people loyal to Odinga rebelled; believing that the elections were rigged.