Amnesty International has condemned the decision by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling it a “worrying setback” for accountability over international crimes.
Marcio Simoes Sivepied, Amnesty’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, described the move as “an insult to victims and survivors” of serious crimes, noting that it creates new barriers to achieving justice.
He explained that while the withdrawal will not stop ongoing investigations in Mali, it will strip victims of future crimes in these countries of their last “safety net” for international justice if their national systems fail.
The organization renewed its call for ICC member states to pressure the three governments to reconsider their decision.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have defended their move by claiming the ICC has become “a tool of colonial repression.”
