The military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced Monday that they are withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), denouncing it as a “neo-colonial instrument of imperialism.”
The three juntas, which seized power in a series of coups between 2020 and 2023, have forged a close alliance under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and moved steadily away from Western partners, particularly former colonial power France.
In a joint statement, the countries accused the Hague-based court of being “an instrument of neo-colonialist repression in the hands of imperialism” and of failing to prosecute “proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression.” They said they intend to establish homegrown mechanisms to promote peace and justice.
Under ICC rules, a member state’s withdrawal takes effect one year after formal notification to the U.N. secretary-general.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have in recent months drawn closer to Russia, whose president, Vladimir Putin, has been under an ICC arrest warrant since March 2023 over the war in Ukraine.
All three West African states face deadly insurgencies from jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, while their own armies have been accused of serious abuses against civilians.
Created in 2002, the ICC’s mandate is to prosecute perpetrators of the world’s most serious crimes when national authorities are unwilling or unable to do so.
