Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdraw from ICC

Abidjan: The military led west African nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on Monday announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Co...

Abidjan: The military-led west African nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on Monday announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, branding it a "neo-colonial" imperialist tool.

The juntas which took over in Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey after coups between 2020 and 2023 have since allied themselves in a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and distanced themselves from the West, notably from former colonial ruler France.

The court, based in The Hague, was "an instrument of neo-colonialist repression in the hands of imperialism," the three countries said in a joint statement.

"The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression," they said. The three states also said they wanted to create "indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice".

A state's withdrawal only takes effect one year after the official submission of the case to the UN general secretariat.