Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger exit International Criminal Court in joint move
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”, BBC News reported.
Interim president of Mali Colonel Assimi Goita (L), head of military junta in Niger Abdourahamane Tchiani (C), and interim leader of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traore (R)The three military-led countries issued a joint statement, saying they would not recognise the authority of the UN-backed court, which is based in The Hague.
“”The ICC has proven incapable of handling and prosecuting 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, all of which have close ties to the Russian Federation, whose ruler, Vladimir Putin, has been subject to an ICC arrest warrant.
The building of the ICCThe three states said they wanted to set up “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice”.
They accused the ICC of targeting less privileged countries, echoing criticism from Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who has previously accused the ICC of holding an anti-African bias.
Established in 2002 to pursue cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression, the ICC has launched 33 cases since its inception, with all but one involving an African country.
A country’s withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after it notifies the UN.
BBC News recalled that military junta forces control Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger following coups in the Sahel countries between 2020 and 2023. They are the only three members of the Confederation of Sahel States.
Their armies have faced accusations of crimes against civilians, as violence has escalated in the region against jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
In another coordinated move earlier this year, all three countries simultaneously withdrew from the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They had rejected ECOWAS’ demands that they restore democratic rule.
Russia has strengthened its ties with the three Sahel countries in recent years. All three have become increasingly isolated from the West, notably former colonial power France.
On February 6, 2025, US President Donald Trump authorized measures targeting ICC officials involved in investigations of US citizens or those of allied nations.
In April 2025, the non-governmental organization, the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group (ULAG), stated that the executive order imposing sanctions against the International Criminal Court was devastating for this institution.
Previously, ZMINA reportedі that at the beginning of September 2025, the Center for Civil Liberties and its partners submitted an official communication to the Prosecutor of the ICC under Article 15 of the Rome Statute. The submission concerns Russia’s systematic and deliberate attacks on medical workers — both military and civilian — as well as on hospitals and medical transport in Ukraine.
According to the “Tribunal for Putin” initiative, 885 cases of attacks on medical infrastructure have been documented as of Aug. 8, 2025. The “Military Medics” organization also reports the shelling of ambulances, looting of pharmacies, and violence against medical workers — from murders and torture to arbitrary detentions.
Since the beginning of 2022 through May 2025, Russian forces have killed і 58 emergency and disaster medical workers in Ukraine and wounded at least 122.
