Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), declaring that they no longer recognise its jurisdiction.
The military-led governments accused the ICC of selectively prosecuting war crimes and acting as “an instrument of neo-colonialist repression.” They said their countries remain committed to protecting human rights in line with their own values and principles.
This move mirrors their earlier decision to exit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), citing similar grievances.
Both human rights groups and UN experts have accused the armies and allied militias of Mali and Burkina Faso of committing atrocities in their campaigns against Islamist insurgents, who themselves are also accused of widespread abuses. National authorities claim investigations are ongoing, but no public findings have been released.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, has prosecuted cases of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity since 2002. While all EU nations are members, countries like the United States, Israel, and Russia are not signatories.
Despite rich natural resources such as gold and uranium, largely extracted by Western companies, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger remain among the least developed states in the world. Located in the Sahel region, they sit along key smuggling and migration corridors to Europe.
Since 2020, military takeovers in all three states ousted elected governments that had failed to contain Islamist insurgencies. The juntas have since shifted away from Western alliances and strengthened military ties with Russia.
