Monday September 22, 2025, the three member countries of the Confederation of States of Sahel (AES) announced their withdrawal “with immediate effect” from the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-font-family:arial; mso-fareast-language:en"> In a statement signed by the president of the Malian transition and head of the Confederation, General Assimi Goïta, the three states, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, explain their decision by the” derives” from the international institution. According to them, the ICC has transformed into an “instrument of neocolonial repression in the hands of imperialism”, illustrating a “selective” justice that is incapable of judging fairly war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocides committed in the world. According to the statement, “the ICC has shown itself unable to take charge of proven crimes, while remaining silent unexplainable in relation to some authors. She fights against others actors outside the circle of beneficiaries of international impunity”.

AES assures that his withdrawal from the ICC does not mean an abandonment of the defense of human rights. The Sahelian countries, which had respectively adhered to the Statute of Rome in 2000 (Mali), 2002 (Niger), 2002 (Niger) and 2004 (Burkina Faso), now affirm wanting to give priority to “endogenous mechanisms” to provide justice and strengthen the peace.