Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Exit ICC, Labeling It a Neo-Colonial Tool

Fri Oct 10 2025 19:26:11 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a bold move, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced their immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, rejecting its authority and asserting their intention to establish local mechanisms for justice.

The military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have jointly declared their exit from the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling it an 'instrument of neo-colonialist repression.' This decision comes amidst rising tensions with the West and accusations of the ICC's anti-African bias. The three nations aim to create their own justice mechanisms while escalating isolation from traditional Western alliances.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced they will immediately withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), labelling it an instrument of neo-colonialist repression.

The three military-led countries issued a joint statement, saying they would not recognise the authority of the United Nations' top court, based in The Hague.

The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression, the three leaders said.

The court has not yet responded to the decision by the three countries, which have close ties to Russia, whose leader Vladimir Putin has been subject to an ICC arrest warrant.

The three states expressed a desire to establish indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice. They accused the ICC of targeting less privileged countries, echoing previous criticisms from Rwanda's President Paul Kagame about an anti-African bias.

The ICC was established in 2002 to pursue cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. Out of 33 cases launched since its inception, all but one have involved an African country.

A country's withdrawal from the ICC officially takes effect one year after the UN is notified.

Military junta forces have controlled Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger following coups in the Sahel between 2020 and 2023, and they are the only three members of the Confederation of Sahel States.

Their armies have faced accusations of crimes against civilians amid rising violence against jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

In a similar coordinated action earlier this year, the three countries also withdrew from the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), rejecting its demands to restore democratic rule.

Russia has bolstered its relationships with these Sahel countries in recent years, as they become increasingly isolated from the West, particularly from France, the former colonial power.

In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russia's President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.