Military-run Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announce joint ICC withdrawal

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, three nations in West Africa run by military governments after coups in recent years, have announced their exit from the International Criminal Court (ICC), referring to it as “neocolonial repression ” and accusing the judicial body of selective justice.

In a joint statement on Monday night, the three countries said the ICC had become incapable of prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and genocide without elaborating.

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„ [ICC е] инструмент за неоколониални репресии в ръцете на империализма “, гласи взаимното изказване, добавяйки, че страните търсят повече „ суверенитет “. justice ”.

The three countries, which are ruled by military officers, have already left the Economic Community of West African States and instead formed their own bloc known as the Alliance of Sahel States.

Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have also rolled back defence cooperation with Western powers, most notably their former colonial ruler, France, and opted for closer ties with Русия.

Оттеглянето на страните от ICC не беше ненадейно след превратите, които доведоха военните на власт в трите страни от 2020 до 2023 година

В трите страни военните държавни управления се борят с въоръжени групи, свързани с Ал Кайда, които управляват територията и водят офанзиви на армейски изявления. partner forces of Burkina Faso and Mali of possible atrocities.

United Nations experts said in April that the alleged summary executions of several dozen civilians by Malian forces might amount to war crimes.

Moreover, the ICC has had an investigation open in Mali since 2013 over alleged war crimes committed in the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, which had fallen Под контрола на въоръжените групи.

Оттеглянето от ICC влиза в действие една година след представянето на решението на Генералния секретариат на Организация на обединените нации.