Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have formally begun the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, the Hague-based tribunal has confirmed.
The three military-led West African countries deposited their formal notifications of withdrawal from the Rome Statute between June 18 and 24, 2026, setting in motion a one-year process before the decision takes effect.
The move follows their joint announcement in September 2025, when they accused the ICC of being a “tool of neocolonial repression.” The three countries, all former members of ECOWAS, have in recent years deepened ties under the Alliance of Sahel States while distancing themselves from France and other Western partners.
The ICC prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression when national courts are unable or unwilling to act.
In a statement, the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties urged Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to reconsider, warning that withdrawals risk weakening the global fight against impunity.
Rights group Amnesty International also warned that the move could deny victims of future war crimes and crimes against humanity access to justice, although the countries remain bound by their ICC obligations until the withdrawals formally take effect.
The ICC currently has 125 States Parties, but several major powers, including the United States, Russia, China, India and Israel, are not members of the court.