Bamako: The military-led West African countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), denouncing it as “a tool of neocolonial repression.” The announcement, in a joint statement published on Monday, marks a significant diplomatic shift in West Africa’s Sahel region, which has experienced eight coups from 2020 to 2023.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the three countries, currently under military rule, have previously distanced themselves from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, forming a new entity known as the Alliance of Sahel States. In addition to severing ties with ECOWAS, they have reduced defense cooperation with Western nations and sought closer relations with Russia.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, members of the ICC for over two decades, expressed their view that the court is ineffective in prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression, and genocide. The statement did not provide specific instances where the countries felt the ICC had failed.
The three nations are engaged in ongoing battles against Islamist militant groups that control significant territories and have launched numerous attacks on military bases this year. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have accused both the militants and military forces from Burkina Faso and Mali of potential atrocity crimes.
In April, United Nations experts reported that the alleged summary execution of several dozen civilians by Malian forces might constitute war crimes. The ICC has been investigating alleged war crimes in Mali since 2013, focusing on the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu, and Kidal, which had fallen under militant control. The investigation was initiated following a referral from the Malian government at the time, with a subsequent intervention by France later that year to repel the insurgents.