Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have jointly announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The declaration was made on Monday in a statement issued by the three West African nations, all of which are currently under military leadership.
The governments of the neighboring countries accused the ICC, which is based in The Hague, of serving foreign interests rather than delivering fair justice. They argued that the court has failed to properly prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, while targeting selected cases that reflect global power struggles.
The three states explained that their decision was aimed at creating their own systems for justice and peacebuilding, which they said would be better suited to their realities. However, under international law, their withdrawal from the ICC will only become effective one year after the notice is formally submitted to the United Nations.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which recently formed the Alliance of Sahel States, are facing ongoing security threats from armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. At the same time, their armies have also been accused of abuses against civilians.
In recent years, the three juntas have distanced themselves from Western governments and have developed closer ties with countries like Russia. Russia itself has clashed with the ICC after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin in 2023 over the war in Ukraine.
The ICC, which was established in 2002, was created to prosecute those responsible for grave crimes when individual nations are unwilling or unable to do so. With the latest announcement, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are signaling a further break from international bodies they see as biased.