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 neo-colonial repression."
The announcement, in a joint statement published earlier in the week, 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.
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Mali’s al Qaeda-affiliated group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has offered multimillion-dollar rewards for information on senior military officials and the country’s head of state.
Malian authorities have launched an investigation into suspected soldiers accused of involvement in coordinated attacks on military bases carried out by militants linked to al Qaeda and separatist Tuareg rebels on 25 April 2026.
Mali’s military leader, Assimi Goita, has said the situation is “under control” in his first public remarks since a wave of coordinated attacks shook the country last weekend.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
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