The military-led West African countries Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, denouncing it as "a tool of neocolonial repression". People stand outside the International Criminal Court (ICC), in The Hague, Netherlands, 22 September 2025. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been members of the ICC, located in The Hague, for more than two decades. But their statement said they viewed the court as incapable of prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and genocide. In April, United Nations experts said the alleged summary execution of several dozen civilians by Malian forces may amount to war crimes.