The West African states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), declaring they no longer recognise its jurisdiction.

The three military-led governments accused the court of arbitrarily prosecuting war crimes and serving as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.” They stressed, however, their commitment to protecting human rights in accordance with their own values.

This is not the first time the countries have taken such a stance. They previously used similar arguments to justify their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Human rights groups and UN experts have accused the armed forces and allied militias in Mali and Burkina Faso of committing war crimes during operations against Islamist insurgents, in addition to atrocities carried out by the militants themselves. National authorities say investigations are ongoing, though none have produced public conclusions.

The ICC, based in The Hague, has been prosecuting serious crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity since 2002. While all EU countries are members, the United States, Israel, and Russia are not signatories.

Despite abundant resources like gold and uranium, which are largely extracted by European and North American companies, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger remain among the world’s least developed nations. Situated in the Sahel on the southern edge of the Sahara, they also sit on major smuggling and migration routes toward Europe.

Between 2020 and 2023, military leaders seized power in all three former French colonies after elected governments failed to quell Islamist insurgencies. Since then, the juntas have distanced themselves from Western partners and drawn closer to Russia for military cooperation.