Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday – continuing on a trajectory of distancing themselves from international organizations in favour of closer alignment with Russia. As per Reuters, the leaders of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali described the ICC as an “instrument of neo-colonial oppression” in a joint statement, adding that they intended to replace it with indigenous mechanisms for promoting peace and 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 three leaders said, although they did not specify in which cases they believe the ICC has fallen short. The ICC derives its authority from the Rome Statute, a multilateral treaty that was initially signed by 137 countries. Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali are all ruled by military juntas which took power after overthrowing their previous governments.