Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Officially Quit the International Criminal Court
In a bold and historic move, three West African nations, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, have officially withdrawn from the International Criminal Court (ICC). And they didn’t leave quietly.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, the three military-led governments slammed the ICC as a “political instrument of neo-colonialism,” accusing it of unfairly targeting African leaders while ignoring war crimes by Western powers.
This isn’t just paperwork. It’s a political earthquake.
All three countries submitted formal notices of withdrawal to the United Nations, the final step needed to exit the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC in 2002.
According to international law, the withdrawal becomes official one year after notification. So while they’re still technically members for now, their message is loud and clear:
“We will no longer subject our sovereignty to an institution that only prosecutes Africans while turning a blind eye to crimes by powerful nations.”
Joint Statement, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger
Why These Three Countries?
All three nations are currently ruled by military junta governments that took power through coups:
Burkina Faso — led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré (since 2022)
Mali — led by Colonel Assimi Goïta (since 2021)
Niger — led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani (since 2023)
They’ve all faced international criticism — and in some cases, ICC investigations — over alleged human rights abuses, civilian killings, and suppression of dissent during counter-terrorism operations.
The ICC had opened preliminary examinations into possible war crimes in Mali and Niger. Burkina Faso feared it was next.
Rather than wait, they chose to walk away together.
The International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, was created to prosecute the world’s worst crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
But since its founding, nearly all its public cases have involved African suspects. Leaders from Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Libya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have faced charges, while leaders from the U.S., Russia, Israel, or the UK have largely avoided scrutiny, even amid documented atrocities.
Many African nations, including South Africa, Gambia, and Burundi, have threatened to leave over the years. Gambia even started the process in 2016 (though it later reversed course).
Now, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are following through, and they’re doing it as a bloc.
Is the ICC biased? Or are these governments dodging accountability? Drop your take below