Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have formally notified the United Nations of their withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move that has sparked serious concerns from human rights organisations, especially Amnesty International.

According to Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Marceau Sivieude, the decision could severely affect thousands of victims of war crimes and other serious violations, who may lose access to truth, justice, and reparations.

The organisation argues that for over a decade, it has documented atrocities committed against civilians during ongoing conflicts in the three Sahel countries, many of which could fall under the ICC’s jurisdiction.The withdrawals were first announced in September 2025, and formal notifications were deposited between 18 and 24 June 2026.

Under international law, the exit will only take full effect one year after notification, meaning the countries will remain bound for now, with withdrawal becoming effective around June 2027.

Amnesty International warned that this step represents a retreat from international legal commitments and could deepen impunity in already fragile conflict environments.The Sahel region has experienced prolonged violence involving state forces and armed groups, resulting in mass civilian casualties.All three countries are currently under military rule following coups between 2020 and 2023.While Mali has been under ICC investigation since 2013, Burkina Faso and Niger are not currently under formal ICC investigation.

Importantly, the ICC stated that ongoing cases, especially in Mali, will not be affected by withdrawal, meaning investigations already in progress will continue.However, new cases after the withdrawal becomes effective may no longer fall under ICC jurisdiction.

Amnesty International also urged the governments to strengthen their national judicial systems to ensure accountability domestically, warning that without strong local courts, impunity could become even more entrenched in the region.