Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on Monday announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), branding it a “neo-colonial instrument of repression.”
The juntas, which seized power in coups between 2020 and 2023, said the Hague-based court had failed in its mandate. In a joint statement, they declared: “The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression. It serves as a tool of imperialism.”
The three nations, now allied under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have been moving away from Western influence, particularly distancing themselves from France, their former colonial power. They announced plans to create “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice” to replace ICC jurisdiction.
According to international law, a state’s withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after notification is formally submitted to the United Nations General Secretariat.
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 for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
All three countries face persistent jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, while their militaries have also been accused of abuses against civilians.
Founded in 2002, the ICC prosecutes perpetrators of the most serious crimes when national courts are unable or unwilling to act.
About the Author
Hussaini Ibrahim 
