Amnesty International on July 2 warned that the recent decision by Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to submit formal notifications of withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) paints a bleak future for thousands of conflict survivors, threatening their right to truth, justice and reparations.

Commenting on the gravity that this decision holds for victims of crimes against humanity, Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International's regional director for West Africa, stated: "Withdrawing from the ICC amounts to a headlong retreat by these governments from their international law and justice obligations. It will also further imperil civilian lives and further enshrine impunity for crimes under international law."

The three countries form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a mutual defense and economic confederation that seeks to reject the political influence of traditional Western powers. On Sept. 22, 2025, the countries won international criticism when they announced their decision to exit the Court. Justifying this decision, a joint communique was issued, in which they branded the ICC an instrument of neo-colonialism and selective justice, saying they chose to defend their national sovereignty against what they termed Western imperialism.

On June 18, Niger became the first of the three to formally submit its written instrument of withdrawal to the UN secretary general, in accordance with Article 127 of the Rome Statute. Six days later, Burkina Faso and Mali followed suit. Pursuant to the rules of the Rome Statute, a country's withdrawal takes effect a year after submission of the formal notification. Before the AES made its sudden announcement of collective withdrawal last September, other countries had recently withdrawn from the international court, including Burundi and the Philippines.

The AES countries are currently engaged in coordinated military actions to beat back surging jihadist offensives, which have resulted in massive civilian casualties across their shared borders. The Sahel war has contributed to an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region, and resulted in multiple civilian massacres and extrajudicial killings committed by state security forces and paramilitaries with Kremlin ties (overseen by Moscow's Africa Corps), as well as by insurgent groups.

Women and girls live in a climate of fear due to the sheer scale of gang rapes, abductions, sexual slavery, and forced marriages orchestrated by armed groups and unaccountable actors. With internal judicial systems effectively paralyzed, the ICC presented a mechanism for justice in the region. The AES has proposed an alternative Sahel Criminal Court for Human Rights, to be based in Mali.

From JURIST, July 4. Used with permission. Internal links added.