Mali, Burkina Faso And Niger Announce Leaving The International Criminal Court

International Criminal Court (ICC). (Wikimedia Commons/Oseveno)

JAKARTA - Three countries in western Africa led by the military, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), condemning it as a "necolonialist tool".

The announcement, in a joint statement published on Monday, is the latest example of the diplomatic upheaval in the West African Sahel region after eight coups between 2020 and 2023, quoted by Reuters on September 23.

Previously, the three countries, ordered by military officers, had separated themselves from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and formed a body known as the Sahel State-State Alliance.

They have also restricted defense cooperation with Western powers and sought closer ties with Russia.

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have been members of the ICC, located in The Hague, for more than two decades. However, a joint statement of the three stated that they saw the court as incapable of a trial of war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression, and genocide.

However, the statement did not mention examples in which these countries believed the ICC had failed.

The three countries are battling Islamist militant groups that control large parts of the region and have launched routine attacks on military installations this year.

Human Rights Watch and other groups accuse militants, as well as Burkina Faso and Mali's military and partner forces, of possible violent crimes.

In April, United Nations experts said the alleged brief execution of dozens of civilians by Mali forces could be considered a war crime.

The ICC has opened investigations in Mali since 2013 over alleged war crimes committed primarily in the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu, and Kidal, which were previously under militant control.

Then in the same year, France intervened to repulse the rebels.

Mali's investigation was opened after a referral from the government at that time.