The military-led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), declaring that they no longer recognise its jurisdiction.
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In a joint statement, the three Sahel nations accused the court of selectively prosecuting war crimes and serving as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.” They stressed, however, that they remained committed to protecting human rights in line with their own values.
The move mirrors their earlier withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), where they had also accused the bloc of advancing Western interests at the expense of sovereignty.
Human rights groups and UN experts have accused the armed forces of Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as allied militias, of committing war crimes during counter-insurgency operations against Islamist militants. The militant groups themselves have also been implicated in atrocities. While national authorities say investigations are ongoing, none have reached public conclusions.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, has jurisdiction over the world’s most serious crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Since its creation in 2002, it has drawn the membership of all EU countries, though major powers such as the United States, Israel, and Russia are not signatories.
Despite vast natural resources like gold and uranium, largely extracted by European and North American companies, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger remain among the world’s poorest nations. The countries, all former French colonies, have been plagued by Islamist insurgencies and political instability, leading to successive military takeovers between 2020 and 2023.
Since then, their ruling juntas have distanced themselves from Western governments and deepened military and strategic cooperation with Russia.
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