Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger quit International Criminal Court in fresh break with the west

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced they are pulling out of the International Criminal Court (ICC), branding it a tool of “neocolonial repression.”

The move, made in a joint statement on Monday, marks another dramatic shift in West Africa’s Sahel region, which has been in political turmoil since a wave of coups between 2020 and 2023.

“[The ICC is an] instrument of neocolonial repression in the hands of imperialism,” the joint statement read, adding that the countries were seeking more “sovereignty”.

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The three countries—now ruled by military officers—have already distanced themselves from traditional partners and blocs. Earlier this year, they withdrew from the West African regional body ECOWAS and instead launched their own framework, the Alliance of Sahel States. They have also scaled back military cooperation with European powers and drawn closer to Russia for security and diplomatic support.

Leaving the ICC continues that trajectory. The court, based in The Hague, was set up to investigate and prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and genocide. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have all been members for more than two decades.

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But in their statement, the governments accused the ICC of failing to live up to its mission, saying it had shown itself incapable of delivering justice. They did not provide specific cases where they believe the court fell short.

All three countries are facing relentless insurgencies from Islamist militant groups that control vast stretches of territory. Attacks on military positions have become frequent, fuelling instability across the Sahel.

International human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, have accused both the militants and the security forces of Burkina Faso and Mali—along with allied forces—of committing serious abuses that could amount to atrocity crimes.

The ICC has already been active in the region. Since 2013, it has had an open investigation in Mali, looking into alleged war crimes in the northern cities of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, which were briefly under jihadist control. That same year, French forces intervened to push the militants back.
the bigger picture

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Critics of the ICC have long argued that it disproportionately targets African nations while powerful countries remain largely beyond its reach. Supporters, however, see it as one of the few avenues for accountability in places where justice systems are weak or compromised.