Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced their decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), describing it as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.” The three countries, which are currently led by military juntas, issued a joint statement declaring that they will no longer recognize the authority of the ICC, situated in The Hague. They criticized the court for its alleged inability to effectively handle and prosecute serious crimes such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and crimes of aggression.
In their statement, the leaders expressed a desire to establish “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice.” They also accused the ICC of disproportionately targeting less privileged nations, echoing sentiments articulated by Rwandan President Paul Kagame regarding an anti-African bias in the court’s operations. Established in 2002, the ICC aims to pursue cases related to genocide, war crimes, and other severe offenses, although it has been criticized for its predominance of cases focused in Africa; out of 33 cases launched so far, all but one have involved African nations.
Withdrawals from the ICC officially take effect one year after notification to the United Nations. The military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger took power through coups occurring from 2020 to 2023, and these countries form the only trio within the Confederation of Sahel States. Their militaries have faced accusations of perpetrating crimes against civilians amid rising violence from jihadist groups associated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
In a related move earlier this year, the three nations also withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after rejecting demands to restore democratic governance. In recent years, they have strengthened ties with Russia, amid increasing isolation from Western nations, particularly France. Notably, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjvp0pr3eko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss