As Sahel States Withdraw From ICC, NGOs Warn of ‘Impunity’ over War Crimes
The Hague-based court said the three military-led states’ departure could weaken global efforts to end impunity.
- On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court confirmed that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger submitted withdrawal letters to the United Nations, initiating a one-year process to leave the Rome Statute.
- Military leaders in the three nations claimed the Hague-based ICC is a "selective and politicized tool" that is "misused and exploited," while battling widespread Islamist insurgencies that have intensified attacks this year.
- Rights groups have accused security forces in Burkina Faso and Mali of committing atrocities, while the three governments face criticism for cracking down on political opposition and the media.
- The ICC Assembly of States Parties expressed regret, urging the countries "to remain committed States Parties to the Rome Statute" and warning that departure "risks undermining the collective pursuit of justing and weakening global efforts to end impunity."
- Although the withdrawal takes one year to finalize, the process remains reversible, as Gambia and Hungary have previously demonstrated; the three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States in 2024.
14 Articles
14 Articles
As Sahel states withdraw from ICC, NGOs warn of ‘impunity’ over war crimes
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have initiated a year-long process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, a move human rights defenders say will leave victims of war crimes without access to justice.In a statement published on Wednesday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger had initiated the one-year process of withdrawing from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.The Wes…
ICC confirms Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger move to leave court
Amnesty International
Burkina Faso/Mali/Niger: Withdrawal from the Rome Statute consecrates impunity and threatens to deny victims of war crimes justice and reparations
Withdrawal from the Rome Statute consecrates impunity and threatens to deny victims of war crimes justice and reparations.
Sahel Countries’ Withdrawal From ICC Betrays Victims
Click to expand Image Capt. Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso (left), Gen. Assimi Goita of Mali (center), and Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger attend the second summit on security and development in Bamako, Mali, December 23, 2025. © 2025 Mali Government Information Center via AP Photo Niger on June 18 and Burkina Faso and Mali on June 24 notified the United Nations secretary-general of their respective decisions to withdraw from the Rome Statu…
A few days after Niamey, Bamako and Ouagadougou formalized their withdrawal from the institution in a letter addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who announced their departure on Tuesday 30 June. By this gesture, the three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States intend to denounce what they consider to be a lack of impartiality of the ICC which they accuse of politicizing human rights.
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