International concern grows over Sahel states’ ICC withdrawal

The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute recently expressed profound concern regarding the announced intention of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This significant move, they believe, threatens to undermine global endeavors aimed at combating impunity.

In an official statement, ASP President Päivi Kaukoranta voiced her regret over this development, emphasizing that the departure of these three nations could severely impede international collaboration in criminal justice. She underscored the ICC’s vital role as a cornerstone of the global justice system, urging Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to reconsider and maintain their adherence to the Rome Statute, continuing their active participation in the Assembly’s proceedings.

The Presidency also highlighted the existing mechanisms within the Assembly that allow member states to address their concerns, advocating for a path of constructive dialogue. Furthermore, it stressed that withdrawing from the Rome Statute does not absolve a state of obligations incurred during its period as a signatory to the treaty.

This firm stance by the ASP follows the formal notification of Niger’s withdrawal. The ICC confirmed receiving this notification on June 18, 2026, which was transmitted to the United Nations Secretary-General, the designated depositary of the Rome Statute. As per the treaty’s provisions, Niger’s withdrawal will officially become effective one year later, on June 18, 2027.

The decision to exit the ICC was initially declared in September 2025 by the leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. A joint communiqué, endorsed by the Malian transitional president, General Assimi Goïta—who then served as the rotating chair of the AES—accused the Court of failing to effectively prosecute perpetrators of the most egregious crimes, decrying what they termed “selective justice.” The AES further asserted that the ICC has transformed into an “instrument of neocolonial repression,” criticizing its perceived inaction on certain atrocities while allegedly targeting individuals outside what they called the “circle of beneficiaries of institutionalized international impunity.”