EU Regrets Decision by Three African States to Withdraw from the International Criminal Court

ARK News.. A spokesperson for the European Commission said the European Union regrets the decision by three African countries to begin the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The spokesperson stated that the Commission regrets the decision by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to initiate withdrawal procedures from the ICC.

The International Criminal Court announced last week that the three African states, all governed by military administrations, had formally begun the withdrawal process, which takes one year to complete.

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso officially launched their withdrawal after depositing written instruments of withdrawal with the United Nations secretary-general in June. Under the Rome Statute, the withdrawals will take effect one year from the date of deposit.

The formal notification implements a joint declaration issued by the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) on September 22, 2025, in which they announced their intention to leave the court "with immediate effect," describing it as "a new colonial instrument of repression in the hands of imperialism." The move follows their formal withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its court in January 2025.

According to Human Rights Watch, the three military-led governments presented similar justifications in their notifications to the United Nations. Niger argued that the Court had been "misused and exploited," while Burkina Faso said it had become "a selective and politicized instrument." The organization also noted that none of the three governments referred in their notifications to the growing international criticism over alleged atrocities committed by their security forces and their widespread repression of human rights.

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