The military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced Monday they are withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, denouncing it as a "neo-colonial" imperialist instrument.
The juntas that took over in Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey after coups between 2020 and 2023 have since allied themselves in a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and distanced themselves from the West, notably from former colonial ruler, France.
The court, based in The Hague, was "an instrument of neo-colonialist repression in the hands of imperialism," the three countries said in a joint statement.
"The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression," they said.
The three states also said they wanted to create "indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice."
