BREAKING: Trio Of Burkina Faso, Mali And Niger Pull Out Of ICC
The military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger on Monday announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of serving as an imperialist instrument against African nations.
In a joint statement, the juntas in Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey described the Hague-based court as “an instrument of neo-colonialist repression in the hands of imperialism.”
“The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression,” they declared.
The three governments added that they would instead develop “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice.”
Under ICC rules, withdrawal by a state takes effect one year after an official notification is submitted to the UN General Secretariat.
The move marks another step in the deepening alliance of the three coup-led governments, which formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and have steadily distanced themselves from Western influence, especially that of their former colonial power, France.
Since the coups between 2020 and 2023, the three countries have drawn closer to Russia, whose President, Vladimir Putin, has himself been under an ICC arrest warrant since March 2023 over the war in Ukraine.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger continue to battle jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, with thousands killed and millions displaced.
However, their armed forces have also faced international accusations of human rights violations and crimes against civilians.
Established in 2002, the ICC is tasked with prosecuting perpetrators of the gravest crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and crimes of aggression, particularly in cases where national courts are unable or unwilling to act.
