Niger has formally submitted its request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Hague-based tribunal announced on Tuesday, nine months after the country declared its intention to leave alongside Mali and Burkina Faso.
The three Sahel nations are governed by military administrations that seized power through coups between 2020 and 2023.
In September last year, the countries jointly announced their decision to exit the ICC, describing the court as an “instrument of neo-colonial repression in the hands of imperialism.”
In a statement issued to AFP, the ICC confirmed it received Niger’s “instrument of withdrawal” on June 18 from the government led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.
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The court said the withdrawal will take effect on June 18, 2027, one year after the notification was submitted. Until then, Niger remains obligated to fulfil its commitments under the Rome Statute.
“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 said.
The statement did not mention Mali or Burkina Faso. All three countries continue to face deadly insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, while their security forces have also faced allegations of abuses against civilians.
Established in 2002, the ICC is mandated to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s gravest crimes, including war crimes, when national authorities are unwilling or unable to do so.
The court currently has 125 member states. Major countries outside the ICC include the United States, Russia, Israel, China and Myanmar.
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