THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have announced their immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the Hague-based tribunal of bias and targeting weaker nations.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, the three military-led Sahel states dismissed the ICC as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression” and declared they would no longer recognise its authority.
“The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression,” the leaders said, adding that they would instead pursue “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice.”
The move deepens the countries’ growing isolation from Western institutions.
Earlier this year, the trio simultaneously pulled out of the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, after rejecting demands to return to civilian rule.
The three juntas have since formalised their alliance under the Confederation of Sahel States and drawn closer to Russia.
Moscow, whose president Vladimir Putin faces an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, has strengthened military and political ties with the Sahel governments as France and other Western partners retreat.
Critics say the ICC has disproportionately targeted African leaders since its establishment in 2002. Of 33 cases opened, all but one have involved African nations.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has also accused the court of anti-African bias, a view echoed by the Sahelian regimes.
The withdrawal is not immediate under international law. It becomes effective one year after the United Nations formally receives notice. Until then, the three countries remain bound by ICC obligations.
All three militaries face allegations of atrocities against civilians as they battle insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
Rights groups say accountability has been scarce, raising concerns that their exit from the ICC could further shield commanders from prosecution.
