Gambia has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, accusing the Hague-based tribunal of the persecution and humiliation of people on the basis of colour. The announcement comes after similar decisions this month by South Africa and Burundi to abandon the troubled institution, set up to try the world's worst crimes. Information Minister Sheriff Bojang said in an announcement on state television that the court had been used for the persecution of Africans and especially their leaders while ignoring crimes committed by the West.