Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Begin ICC Withdrawals

Three West African nations have formally initiated their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, a move international bodies warn will undermine accountability for atrocities. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger submitted their official notifications to the United Nations Secretary-General between June 18 and June 24, 2026, triggering a one-year process to leave the court.

The ICC’s governing body, the Assembly of States Parties, confirmed the withdrawals and expressed regret over the decision. In a statement, the presidency said the move risks weakening global efforts to end impunity and undermines the pursuit of justice. It urged the three countries to remain committed to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court, and invited them to engage in dialogue on the matter.

The three nations, all currently led by military regimes that took power in a series of coups between 2020 and 2023, provided similar justifications in their notifications. They characterized the ICC as a selective, politicized tool and an instrument of neocolonial oppression. The governments did not address mounting international condemnation over alleged atrocities committed by their own...