Three African countries immediately withdraw from ICC: What is known
Illustrative photo: Niger withdraws from the ICC (flickr by van nguyen)
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have decided to immediately withdraw from the International Criminal Court. All three maintain close ties with Russia, BBC reports.
Three countries ruled by the military have issued a joint statement declaring that they no longer recognize the authority of the ICC.
"The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression," the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger said.
They claim they want to create "indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice."
The leaders of the three countries accused the ICC of targeting less privileged nations, echoing criticism from Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who previously accused the Court of bias against Africa.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are controlled by military juntas following coups between 2020 and 2023. Their armies are accused of committing crimes against civilians.
Recently, Russia has strengthened its ties with the three countries, which have become increasingly isolated from the West.
ICC warrant for Putin’s arrest
In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the abduction of Ukrainian children. This means that all countries recognizing the Court’s jurisdiction are obligated to enforce the decision — a total of 125 states.
Despite the binding nature of the warrant, in 2024, Putin was able to visit Mongolia, an ICC member state, without any obstacles. The country’s authorities refused to arrest him.
