Niger Withdraws From International Criminal Court, Labels It Neocolonialist
Niger has officially submitted a request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), nine months after announcing its intention to quit.
In September 2025, Niger, together with allies Mali and Burkina Faso, all of which are under military government, released a joint statement stating that they would not acknowledge the ICC’s authority, calling it a “neocolonialist repressive instrument.”
According to a declaration obtained by AFP, the court received a “instrument of withdrawal” on June 18. The withdrawal takes effect one year following notification.
The ICC said that Niger must meet its responsibilities to the court until that date.
The ICC – based in The Hague, in the Netherlands – was set up in 2002 to pursue cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.
🇳🇪⚖️ Niger officially submits request to withdraw from ICC
Niamey stated the court has been “misused and exploited,” echoing a September 2025 joint AES Confederation declaration calling the ICC an “instrument of neocolonial repression.”
👉 The UN Secretary-General registered… https://t.co/YCuMs7bWtw pic.twitter.com/53AkYErDUK— Sputnik Africa (@sputnik_africa) June 23, 2026
The court’s statement on Tuesday 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 (ECOWAS), 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.
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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.
In recent years, the three countries, which are former French colonies, have increasingly become isolated from the West and strengthened their ties to Russia.
There is an outstanding ICC-issued arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Russia, as well as countries such as the US, Israel and China, are not part of the court’s 125-member states.
Niger will be the third country to leave the ICC after the Philippines and Burundi.
Niger Withdraws From International Criminal Court, Labels It Neocolonialist
