Niger submits formal request to withdraw from the ICC

Junta‑ruled Niger has formally applied to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Hague‑based tribunal announced on Tuesday, nine months after the country, together with Mali and Burkina Faso, declared its intention to withdraw.

The three Sahelian states are governed by hardline military regimes that seized power in coups between 2020 and 2023 and have distanced themselves from Western influence.

In September of last year, the trio announced their withdrawal, describing the court as an “instrument of neo‑colonial repression in the hands of imperialism.”

In a statement sent to AFP on Tuesday, the ICC confirmed receipt of an “instrument of withdrawal” from Niger on June 18, issued by General Abdourahamane Tiani.

The withdrawal will become effective on June 18, 2027, one year after the notification, the court said. Until that date, Niger must continue to meet its obligations to the ICC.

“While joining or withdrawing from a treaty remains a sovereign right of States under international law, we regret any decision to depart from the collective effort to end impunity for the most serious international crimes,” the ICC added.

The statement made no reference to Mali or Burkina Faso. All three countries face intense violence from jihadist groups linked to Al‑Qaeda and the Islamic State, and their militaries have also been accused of committing crimes against civilians.

Established in 2002, the ICC’s mandate is to prosecute individuals responsible for the gravest crimes—such as war crimes—when national systems lack the will or capacity to do so.

The court currently has 125 member states. The United States, Russia, Israel, China, and Myanmar are not members.