Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), declaring that they no longer recognize the court’s jurisdiction.

In a joint statement, the three military-led governments accused the ICC of “arbitrarily prosecuting war crimes” and serving as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.” They, however, reaffirmed their commitment to human rights protection in line with what they described as their national values.

The stance mirrors the argument previously advanced by the juntas to justify their collective withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Human rights groups and United Nations experts have repeatedly accused Mali’s and Burkina Faso’s armed forces, along with allied militias, of committing war crimes in their operations against Islamist insurgents. Militants themselves have also been implicated in atrocities. While authorities claim investigations are ongoing, none have yet produced public outcomes.

Established in 2002 and based in The Hague, the ICC prosecutes the gravest crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. All European Union member states belong to the court, but countries such as the United States, Israel, and Russia remain outside its jurisdiction.

Despite their vast reserves of gold and uranium resources heavily exploited by European and North American companies—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger rank among the world’s poorest nations. Situated in the Sahel region, they also lie along critical smuggling and migration routes to Europe.

Between 2020 and 2023, military juntas seized power in the three states, overthrowing Western-backed civilian governments that failed to curb Islamist insurgencies. Since then, the regimes have distanced themselves from Western allies and deepened security cooperation with Russia.

Reuters