Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have declared that they will withdraw immediately from the International Criminal Court (ICC), denouncing the Hague-based tribunal as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.”
The three military-led Sahel countries issued a joint statement rejecting the authority of the United Nations’ top court, accusing it of bias and selective justice.
“The ICC has proven itself incapable of prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and crimes of aggression,” the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger said.
The ICC, established in 2002, was tasked with prosecuting war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression. Yet, of the 33 cases launched since its inception, nearly all have targeted African nations, fueling accusations of anti-African bias. Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has previously echoed similar criticisms.
Ties to Russia and the Sahel security crisis
The decision comes amid deepening ties between the three Sahel military juntas and Russia, whose leader, Vladimir Putin, is under an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—each ruled by juntas after coups between 2020 and 2023—form the Confederation of Sahel States. Their armies face accusations of civilian abuses during escalating conflicts with al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked jihadist groups in the Sahel.
Earlier this year, the trio also withdrew from the West African bloc Ecowas, rejecting demands to restore democratic governance.
Push for indigenous justice mechanisms
In their statement, the three governments announced plans to create “indigenous mechanisms for peace and justice”, saying the ICC unfairly targets weaker nations while shielding powerful states.
“The ICC has lost credibility as a court of justice and has become a tool used against less privileged countries,” the statement read.
What happens next?
Under international law, a country’s withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after official UN notification. If Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger follow through, they will join a small group of states—including the United States, China, and Russia—that do not recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction.
Their move highlights growing geopolitical realignments in Africa, where resentment toward France and Western influence is rising while Russia expands its presence in the resource-rich but unstable Sahel region.
