# Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, accusing it of serving as a tool of neocolonial repression. The military-led nations, already split from the Economic Community of West African States and aligned under the Alliance of Sahel States, are also strengthening ties with Russia. The move comes as the three countries battle Islamist insurgencies amid allegations of atrocity crimes. The ICC has investigated Mali since 2013 over alleged war crimes in its northern regions.
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger quit ICC, call it tool of neocolonial repression