Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Withdraw from ICC

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have jointly announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), deepening their political realignment away from Western institutions.

In a statement issued on Monday, the three military-led Sahel states accused the ICC of serving as an instrument of neocolonial repression and practicing selective justice. They claimed the court had failed to prosecute verified war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression.

The juntas, which seized power through coups between 2020 and 2023, argued that they will establish their own indigenous mechanisms to promote peace and justice. The move mirrors their earlier withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Since forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the three nations have distanced themselves from France and other Western partners, while strengthening military cooperation with Russia.

The withdrawal comes against the backdrop of persistent jihadist insurgencies across the Sahel, where government forces themselves have faced allegations of abuses against civilians.

The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, has served as the world’s permanent tribunal for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity since 2002.

While it has prosecuted some of the gravest crimes globally, several major powers, including the United States, China, Russi,a and Israel, are not members.