Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), declaring that they no longer recognize its jurisdiction.
The three military-led governments accused the court of selectively prosecuting war crimes and acting as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression,” while reaffirming their commitment to protecting human rights in line with their own values.
The countries cited similar reasoning when exiting the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), arguing that international institutions undermine their sovereignty.
Human rights groups and UN experts have accused the armed forces of Mali and Burkina Faso, along with allied militias, of committing war crimes during operations against Islamist militants. Investigations by national authorities have yet to yield public findings.
Based in The Hague, the ICC prosecutes crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, but has faced criticism for perceived bias in targeting African nations.
Despite their vast resources, including gold and uranium, the Sahel nations remain among the least developed globally, with European and North American companies dominating resource extraction.
Since 2020, military juntas in these former French colonies have increasingly distanced themselves from Western allies, opting instead for military cooperation with Russia amidst ongoing Islamist insurgencies.