THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Niger Republic has officially submitted its request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Hague-based tribunal confirmed on Tuesday, nine months after the military junta first announced its intention to leave alongside allies Mali and Burkina Faso.
The ICC stated that it received an “instrument of withdrawal” on June 18 from Niger, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani. The formal withdrawal will take effect on June 18, 2027, one year after the notification date, in accordance with ICC regulations. Until then, Niger remains bound by its obligations to the court.
The three Sahel nations, which are all under military rule following coups between 2020 and 2023, first announced their joint withdrawal in September 2025. They accused the ICC of being “an instrument of neo-colonial repression in the hands of imperialism” and said they would establish “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice.”
In a statement, the ICC expressed regret over Niger’s decision, stating: “While joining or withdrawing from a treaty remains a sovereign right of States under international law, we regret any decision to depart from the collective effort to end impunity for the most serious international crimes.”
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have increasingly distanced themselves from Western allies and institutions in recent years. The three countries also withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and formed their own Confederation of Sahel States.
The ICC statement made no mention of formal withdrawal requests from Mali or Burkina Faso. Founded in 2002, the ICC has 125 member states and prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes when countries lack the will or capacity to do so themselves. Niger will become the third country to leave the ICC after the Philippines and Burundi.
