South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Sunday announced its decision to withdraw the country’s membership from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The decision was made at a meeting of the ruling party’s National General Council (NGC), Xinhua news agency quoted Obed Bapela, head of ANC’s international relations commission, as saying.

“The NGC has just resolved that South Africa should withdraw from the International Criminal Court,” he told reporters.

The decision was made due to the fact that ICC has lost its direction and is no longer pursuing its guiding principle, Bapela said.