Request to withdraw from ICC submitted

Niger has officially submitted its request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), nine months after announcing its intent to leave, reports BBC News. In September 2025, Niger, along with allies Mali and Burkina Faso – which are all under military rule – issued a joint statement saying they would not recognise the ICC's authority, calling it an ‘instrument of neo-colonialist repression’. The court said it had received an ‘instrument of withdrawal’ on 18 June, according to a statement seen by AFP. Withdrawal takes effect one year after notification. The ICC added that Niger must honour its obligations to the court until that date. The ICC statement did not make any mention of Mali or Burkina Faso. When announcing their withdrawal, the three Sahel states said they wanted to set up 'indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice'. Last year, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso also simultaneously withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States, the regional bloc, and created the Confederation of Sahel States for the three nations. Juntas have been in control of the countries following coups in the early part of this decade. Their armies have faced accusations of crimes against civilians, as violence has escalated in the region against jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.