Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have just announced they will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling it an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.” In a joint statement, the three military-led Sahel states rejected the authority of the UN-backed court in The Hague, arguing that it has failed to prosecute powerful nations for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and crimes of aggression, while disproportionately targeting African countries.

Russia’s growing role in the region cannot be ignored. All three countries now maintain close ties with Moscow, which has provided military and diplomatic support as they face escalating violence from jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS.

With Russian President Vladimir Putin under an ICC arrest warrant himself, the alignment between Moscow and the Sahel is only deepening.

The ICC has yet to respond to this historic decision. But for many, the question is clear: should Africa’s justice system be decided in The Hague, or built on African soil?

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