Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announce exit from ICC

The International Criminal Court headquarters at The Hague in Netherlands.

Photo credit: Reuters

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."

The announcement, in a joint statement published on Monday, is the latest example of diplomatic upheaval in West Africa's Sahel region following eight coups between 2020 and 2023.