BBC
20 September 2013 Last updated at 08:07 ET
The African Union has called a special summit to discuss a mass withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in protest at the trial of Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto.

A letter sent to the ICC signed by African leaders says Mr Ruto's presence in The Hague will disadvantage Kenya.

The AU has previously accused the ICC of "hunting" African leaders and ignoring atrocities elsewhere.

The ICC says it is standing up for victims of crimes wherever they are.

The extraordinary summit will be held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on 13 October.

Days before the start of Mr Ruto's trial this month, Kenya's parliament voted to leave the ICC.

This decision will not affect the trial of Mr Ruto, or Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose case is due to start in November.

Both men deny charges of organising violence following the disputed 2007 elections, in which some 1,200 people were killed.

'Political matter'

Thirty-four of the AU's 54 members have signed up to the ICC.

"The Kenyans have been criss-crossing Africa in search of support for their cause, even before their parliament voted to withdraw from the ICC," an AU official told the Reuters news agency.

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ICC in brief

Set up in 2002
Based in The Hague, the Netherlands
Deals with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression
Court has been ratified by 121 countries, including 34 in Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo militia leader Thomas Lubanga is the only person convicted so far
Investigating cases in Uganda, DR Congo, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Kenya, Libya and Ivory Coast
Source: ICC factsheet
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24173557