MALI, BURKINA FASO AND NIGER ANNOUNCE EXIT FROM INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

The military-led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), condemning it as a tool of neocolonial repression.

In a joint statement, the three countries ruled by military officers said that despite being ICC members for over two decades, they now view the court as ineffective in prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression, and genocide.

The move follows their earlier withdrawal from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and the creation of their own coalition, the Alliance of Sahel States.