Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger announced Monday that they will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the tribunal of serving “imperial” rather than African interests.

The three countries, each governed by military juntas and members of the Alliance of Sahel States, issued a joint declaration stating that they no longer recognized the ICC as a legitimate forum for justice. Their governments argued that the court has become an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.”

Under Article 127 of the Rome Statute, a state party may withdraw by submitting written notification to the UN Secretary-General. Withdrawal becomes effective one year after receipt of the notification, and until then the withdrawing state remains bound by the statute. The announcement did no

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