Three military-led African nations – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – have announced their immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, according to BBC News. The countries issued a joint statement labeling the ICC an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.”
“The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression,” the three leaders stated in their joint declaration.
The timing of the announcement draws attention given all three countries maintain close ties with Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin faces an ICC arrest warrant issued in 2023 over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. The Hague-based court has not yet responded to the African nations’ decision.
The three states said they intend to establish “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice” as an alternative to the international court. Their criticism echoes longstanding accusations that the ICC disproportionately targets African nations – a charge previously leveled by Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
Since its establishment in 2002, the ICC has launched 33 cases, with all but one involving African countries. The court was created to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.
Military juntas currently control all three withdrawing nations following coups between 2020 and 2023. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger constitute the only members of the Confederation of Sahel States. Their armed forces face accusations of crimes against civilians as violence has intensified in the region’s fight against jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The withdrawal represents another coordinated break with international institutions. Earlier this year, the same three countries simultaneously left the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after rejecting the regional bloc’s demands to restore democratic governance.
Russia has strengthened relationships with all three Sahel nations in recent years as they have become increasingly isolated from Western partners, particularly former colonial power France.
Under ICC statutes, a country’s withdrawal officially takes effect one year after the United Nations receives notification.