Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger to quit ICC, brand court 'Neo-Colonial Tool'
In a joint statement, the three Sahel states declared they no longer recognise the authority of the UN-backed tribunal, accusing it of failing to prosecute grave crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
The military juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced their immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), denouncing it as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.”
In a joint statement, the three Sahel states declared they no longer recognise the authority of the UN-backed tribunal, accusing it of failing to prosecute grave crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression. Instead, they pledged to establish homegrown systems of justice to promote peace and accountability.
Their criticism echoes longstanding African concerns of bias, with the leaders stressing that the ICC disproportionately targets weaker nations. Since its creation in 2002, nearly all of the ICC’s cases have involved African states.
The announcement comes as the three countries, bound together under the Confederation of Sahel States, continue to distance themselves from Western institutions. Earlier this year, they jointly withdrew from ECOWAS after rejecting calls to restore democratic rule following a wave of military coups between 2020 and 2023.
The decision also underscores their growing alignment with Russia, whose president, Vladimir Putin, faces an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Under ICC rules, withdrawal takes effect one year after the UN is formally notified. Meanwhile, the three Sahelian militaries face mounting allegations of atrocities against civilians amid escalating conflicts with jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
The ICC has yet to issue an official response to the joint withdrawal.
