The International Criminal Court (ICC) has officially acknowledged receiving notifications of withdrawal from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
These three West African nations, members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have now formally initiated the year-long process to disengage from the International Criminal Court.
Their intention to withdraw was initially announced in September 2025, at which time they characterized the ICC as a “neocolonial tool of repression.”
The International Criminal Court functions as the world’s permanent judicial body, tasked with prosecuting individuals accused of international crimes. It pursues cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression when national legal systems are unable or unwilling to act.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the presidency of the ICC’s governing body confirmed that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have submitted their official letters, thereby commencing the twelve-month procedure required for their withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
The ICC has called upon these three African states to maintain constructive dialogue within the Assembly of States Parties to the Court, providing an avenue for them to express any ongoing concerns regarding the Rome Statute.
