Withdrawal from the Rome Statute by the Confederation of Sahel States: legal and institutional implications

On 22 September 2025, the governments of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali, and the Republic of Niger, acting together through the Confederation of Sahel States, issued a public statement declaring their “sovereign decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with immediate effect,” criticising the Court as selective and “an instrument of neo‑colonial repression.”

The joint statement also signals an intention to rely on “endogenous mechanisms” including a proposed Sahelian/Regional Criminal Court for Human Rights, while pledging continued engagement with oversight mechanisms other than the ICC. See below our full brief, which sets out the process for withdrawal under Article 127 of the Rome Statute and explains the likely implications.