Fatou Bensouda
Fatou BensoudaREUTERS

The United States has imposed a visa ban on Fatou Bensouda, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to her investigations of alleged war crimes by Americans, Bensouda's office announced on Friday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned last month that the US would revoke entry visas for members of the Hague who investigate possible war crimes by US forces in Afghanistan.

“I am announcing a policy on those individuals directly responsible for any ICC investigations of US personnel," Pompeo said. "This includes persons who take or have taken action to request or further such an investigation.”

Bensouda, an African-born Muslim from Gambia who had been the prosecutor since 2012 is the first member to be sanctioned by the US.

“We can confirm that the US authorities have revoked the Prosecutor’s visa for entry into the US," Bensouda's office wrote in a statement. "It is our understanding that should not have an impact on the Prosecutor’s travel to the US to meet her obligations to the UN, including regular briefings before the UN Security Council.

“The Office of the Prosecutor has an independent and impartial mandate under the Rome Statute of the ICC. The Prosecutor and her Office will continue to undertake that statutory duty with utmost commitment and professionalism, without fear or favor.”