Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Quit International Criminal Court
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have officially initiated their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), the court confirmed on Wednesday.
The three military-led West African nations first told the court of their intentions in September.
The three former ECOWAS members established the Alliance of Sahel States in 2024. Since then, they have severed ties with France and other Western nations, embracing Russian mercenaries for support.
The Hague-based court prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and other serious offenses when national courts are unable to act.
In their announcement, the three Sahel states criticized the ICC as a tool of ‘neocolonial repression.’
The ICC currently has 125 member nations, but major powers like China, India, Russia, the US and Israel have not joined.
The court warned that countries leaving the court risked undermining global efforts to combat impunity.
