Niger has officially submitted its request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC)


Niger has officially withdrawn from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the ICC, the Hague-based court of “selective justice.” Niger submitted an “instrument of withdrawal” letter to the United Nations on Monday, June 18, 2026. The withdrawal will take effect after 12 months.

The ICC – based in The Hague in the Netherlands – was set up in 2002 to pursue cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression. Niger said the ICC had raised hope for peace and justice but instead it is being “misused and exploited”, and has become an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression”.
The ICC said it regrets the decision and calls on countries to work together to end impunity for serious international crimes.

The United States, as well as countries such as Israel, Russia and China, are not part of the court’s 125 member states.

Niger will be the third country to leave the ICC after the Philippines and Burundi.

Mali and Burkina Faso, the other two AES countries have also announced to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC). When announcing their withdrawal, the three Sahel States said they wanted to set up “indigenous mechanisms for the consolidation of peace and justice”.

✊🏿 Niger🇳🇪 has formally exited the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing concerns over selective justice and bias.

This makes Niger🇳🇪 the third country to withdraw from the ICC after notifying its intent alongside Mali🇲🇱 and Burkina Faso🇧🇫 last year.

✊🏿 Military-ruled Niger has officially submitted its request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, the Hague-based tribunal said on Monday, June 18, 2026, nine months after announcing the move alongside Alliance of the Sahel States (AES) countries, Mali and Burkina Faso.

✊🏿 Niger🇳🇪, Mali🇲🇱, and Burkina Faso🇧🇫 recently left ECOWAS and formed the Alliance of the Sahel States, accusing the ICC of acting as a ‘neo-colonial’ tool.

✊🏿 African countries have long criticized the ICC for focusing disproportionately on Africa while ignoring crimes by powerful nations (Israel and the United States).
The request will take effect on June 18, 2027, the court said — one year after notification. Niger must honor its obligations to the court until that date, the statement said.

The ICC has 125 member states at the moment. The United States and Israel are not among them, nor are Russia or China.

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Diplomacy: Niger formalizes its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.

The break between the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and certain international institutions has reached a new level. Niger has officially notified its…