Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger exit ICC, reject court’s jurisdiction

The governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have formally announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, ICC, declaring they no longer recognise its authority.

In a joint statement, the three military-led nations accused the Hague-based tribunal of selective justice and acting as a “tool of neo-colonial repression.” They insisted that while they reject the ICC, they remain committed to safeguarding human rights within frameworks that align with their own cultural and national values.

The move mirrors their earlier decision to quit the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, citing similar grievances of unfair treatment and external interference.

International watchdogs and UN experts have repeatedly accused the armed forces of Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as their allied militias, of carrying out atrocities in the fight against Islamist insurgents, abuses committed alongside the violence unleashed by the militant groups themselves. Although national authorities claim investigations are ongoing, no findings have yet been made public.

Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes grave international crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. While all European Union states are members, key global players such as the United States, Israel, and Russia have never joined.

Despite their vast natural wealth, including gold and uranium, much of it exploited by European and North American companies, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger remain among the world’s poorest nations.

Situated in the Sahel region, on the southern fringe of the Sahara Desert, the three countries lie along major smuggling and migration corridors toward Europe.

Between 2020 and 2023, military juntas toppled civilian governments across the three former French colonies, accusing them of failing to suppress Islamist insurgencies despite years of Western support. Since then, the regimes have distanced themselves from traditional Western allies, pivoting instead toward Moscow for military and strategic cooperation.