Overview
- The three military-led governments issued a joint statement on state television declaring they are quitting the Rome Statute.
- They described the Hague-based court as an instrument of neocolonial oppression and accused it of failing to pursue grave crimes.
- Under ICC rules, a withdrawal becomes effective one year after formal notice to the UN Secretary-General, and jurisdiction can still apply to earlier conduct.
- The decision aligns with the Alliance of Sahel States’ break with Western troops and UN missions and its deepening security cooperation with Russia.
- Analysts warn of rising impunity as jihadist violence endures and state forces face abuse allegations, even as Mali has previously seen ICC prosecutions and convictions.