09/23/2025
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso Announce Withdrawal from the International Criminal Court
In a communiqué signed in Bamako by Assimi Goïta, President of the Malian Transition and current head of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso officially declared their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to the leaders, the Court has become an instrument of neocolonial repression serving imperial interests, applying selective justice. They argue that while the ICC targets certain actors, it consistently shields those within what they describe as the privileged circle of international impunity.
Despite this move, the AES states affirmed their willingness to engage in cooperation within the framework of the United Nations, but through alternative international mechanisms. They also emphasized their commitment to developing indigenous systems for strengthening peace and justice.
Under international law, a state’s withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after its formal notification to the UN Secretary-General.
The decision also reflects the growing alignment of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger with countries such as Russia whose president, Vladimir Putin, has been under an ICC arrest warrant since March 2023 in relation to the war in Ukraine.
Source: African report file
