Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announce withdrawal from ICC

Three South African countries-Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are turning their backs on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The three countries, which are members of the Alliance of Sahel States, accuse the ICC of being an instrument of neo-colonial repression and foreign domination that ignores their rights and realities. Also, people are fleeing war and facing disease as cholera spreads throughout Sudan's 18 states. Half a million people have fled the city of El Fasher with no shelter, prompting the Red Cross to sound the alarm. And it's a big win for Ousmane Dembélé, who has made history by winning the Ballon d’Or. His triumph has sent waves of pride all the way to Senegal.
In a joint statement, the military-led West African states said that the court's jurisdiction had "transformed into an instrument of neocolonial repression in the hands of imperialism." Because of this, the neighboring states accused the ICC of becoming "a global example of selective justice." "The ICC has proven itself incapable of handling and prosecuting proven war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide, and crimes of aggression," the West African states said. 
The military-led countries have previously used this same argument to justify their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The three states also said they wanted to create "indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice". 
The juntas, which toppled the governments in Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey after coups between 2020 and 2023, have since formed a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). They have actively distanced themselves from the West, notably from former  colonial ruler France and have moved closer toward Russia for military cooperation. The West African countries are currently in the grip of deadly violence from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the so-called "Islamic State", but their armies have also been accused of committing crimes against civilians