But his letter appealed to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to urge the court to respect Kenya's sovereignty and drop the cases.

BBC: Kenya asks UN to halt ICC charges against Kenyatta

Ten UN Security Council (UNSC) members backed the resolution, including France, Lebanon, the US and UK, while five, including Germany, abstained - nine votes were needed for it to pass.

BBC: Libya no-fly zone 'will protect civilians'

But so similar is the launch technology that the outside world, including America and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), has in the past insisted that a ban on missile launches also covers satellites.

ECONOMIST: Banyan