Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 23, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleMali, Burkina Faso, and Niger exit the ICC, citing it as a neocolonial tool. This move follows eight coups in the Sahel region since 2020.
DAKAR (Reuters) -The military-led West African countries Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, denouncing it as "a tool of neocolonial repression."
The announcement, in a joint statement published on Monday, is the latest example of diplomatic upheaval in West Africa's Sahel region following eight coups between 2020 and 2023.
The three countries, which are ruled by military officers, have already split from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and formed a body known as the Alliance of Sahel States. They have also curbed defence cooperation with Western powers and sought closer ties with Russia.
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been members of the ICC, located in The Hague, for more than two decades. But their statement said they viewed the court as incapable of prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and genocide. It did not specify examples of where the countries believed the ICC had fallen short.
The three countries are battling Islamist militant groups that control large swathes of territory and have staged frequent attacks on military installations this year.
Human Rights Watch and other groups have accused the militants as well as the militaries and partner forces of Burkina Faso and Mali of possible atrocity crimes.
In April, United Nations experts said the alleged summary execution of several dozen civilians by Malian forces may amount to war crimes.
The ICC has had an investigation open in Mali since 2013 over alleged war crimes committed primarily in the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, which had fallen under militant control. Later that year, France intervened to push back the insurgents.
The Mali investigation was opened following a referral from the government at the time.
(Reporting by Burkina Faso newsroom, Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
The three countries denounced the ICC as 'a tool of neocolonial repression' and expressed their view that the court is incapable of prosecuting war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have been members of the International Criminal Court for over two decades.
The Sahel region has experienced significant diplomatic upheaval following eight coups between 2020 and 2023, leading to the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States.
Human Rights Watch and other groups have accused the militaries of possible atrocity crimes, including the alleged summary execution of civilians by Malian forces.
The ICC has had an investigation open in Mali since 2013 regarding alleged war crimes committed primarily in the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu, and Kidal.
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