Niger formally begins process to leave International Criminal Court
The ICC said it received Niger’s instrument of withdrawal on June 18.
Niger has formally notified the International Criminal Court of its decision to withdraw from the tribunal.
The move comes nine months after Niger, together with Mali and Burkina Faso, announced that they would no longer recognise the authority of the court.
The ICC said it received Niger’s instrument of withdrawal on June 18.
Under the court’s rules, the withdrawal will take effect one year after the formal notification.
Until then, the ICC says Niger remains bound by its obligations to the court.
The Hague-based court was established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso first announced their intention to leave the court in September 2025.
The three military-led Sahel states accused the ICC of being an instrument of what they described as neo-colonialist repression.
They also said they intended to create their own mechanisms to promote peace and justice.
The ICC’s latest statement referred only to Niger’s formal withdrawal notice.
It did not mention whether Mali or Burkina Faso had also submitted formal withdrawal documents.
The decision marks another step in the growing distance between the three Sahel states and major Western-backed institutions.
Last year, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso also withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States.
They later created the Confederation of Sahel States as a new political and security alliance.
All three countries are currently under military rule following coups earlier in the decade.
Their armies have been fighting jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The conflict has intensified across the Sahel, with security forces also facing accusations of abuses against civilians.
In recent years, the three countries have reduced ties with former colonial power France and other Western partners.
They have also strengthened relations with Russia.
Russia is not a member of the ICC.
The court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Other countries, including the United States, Israel and China, are also not members of the ICC.
If the withdrawal process is completed, Niger will become the third country to leave the court after Burundi and the Philippines.
