Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger pull out of ICC
BAMAKO—Ruling military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger say the three countries are withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the global tribunal of selective justice.
The pullout was not unexpected in the wake of the coups that brought the juntas to power in the three western African countries. The ICC, based in The Hague, is the world’s permanent global tribunal for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Partners abandoned
Since the coups, the three countries’ military leaders abandoned longtime partners, including the West and the West Africa regional bloc. They have established new alliances, mainly with Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin faces an arrest warrant by the ICC over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In a joint statement late on Monday announcing their withdrawal, the three said the ICC has become an “instrument of neocolonial repression in the hands of imperialism,” without elaborating on the allegation.
It accused the court of being “inexplicably, confusingly, and complacently silent” toward perpetrators within an “institutionalized circle of impunity,” apparently referring to Western powers.
Local court
The juntas also said they are seeking more “sovereignty” and had announced plans of establishing a local court to deal with serious crimes and human rights violations.
In May, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger disclosed plans to create the Sahelian Criminal and Human Rights Court.
The withdrawal process from the ICC takes at least a year to complete. Earlier this year, Hungary also announced its withdrawal.
