OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO — The military juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced their coordinated withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a joint statement, the three nations said they sought to establish their own “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice.”
The decision comes with a strong accusation that the ICC unfairly targets less privileged countries, echoing previous criticism from African leaders, including Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who has accused the court of an anti-African bias.
Since its inception in 2002 to prosecute crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, all but one of the ICC’s 33 cases have involved an African country.
The move marks a further shift by the three nations, all of which are controlled by military juntas following coups between 2020 and 2023. Their armies have faced accusations of crimes against civilians as violence against jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State has escalated in the region.
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Earlier this year, in another coordinated action, all three countries simultaneously withdrew from the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), after rejecting its demands for a return to democratic rule.
Over recent years, the three members of the Confederation of Sahel States have become increasingly isolated from Western nations, particularly the former colonial power France, and have strengthened their ties with Russia.
The timing of their withdrawal is notable, as the ICC recently issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
A country’s withdrawal from the ICC officially takes effect one year after the United Nations is notified.
