Amnesty International has strongly condemned the announcements by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, described the withdrawals as an affront to victims and survivors of serious crimes and to all those fighting against impunity in the region and globally.
Sivieude noted that while the withdrawals would not affect ongoing ICC investigations in Mali or the states’ current obligations to the Court, they would significantly reduce the prospects for victims and survivors of future war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in these countries to access justice if they cannot obtain it domestically.
She emphasized that if these countries have concerns about perceived selectivity by the ICC, such issues should be addressed constructively through dialogue and engagement within the Assembly of States Parties. Exiting the Rome Statute, she warned, does not resolve these concerns and instead removes critical protections and avenues of justice for victims.
Amnesty International called on all ICC member states to urge Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to reconsider their decisions to withdraw, stressing the importance of maintaining accountability and safeguarding the rights of victims in the Sahel region.
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