Niger becomes the third country to leave the International Criminal Court

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Niger has formally left the International Criminal Court, accusing the judicial body in The Hague of selective justice.

The west African country submitted a letter to the United Nations on Monday, triggering the withdrawal process from the court’s foundational treaty, the Rome Statute.

“While the court had raised great hopes among peoples who cherish peace and justice, it has been misused and exploited,” the letter said.

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced last year that they would leave the court.

A coup ousted Niger’s democratically elected government in 2023, since when a military junta has abandoned longtime partners and has formed new alliances instead, including with Russia, where President Vladimir Putin faces an arrest warrant by the ICC over the war in Ukraine.

Mali and Burkina Faso have undergone similar transformations.

The ICC expressed disappointment at the departure. “We regret any decision to depart from the collective effort to end impunity for the most serious international crimes,” the court said in a statement.

Niger’s departure will make it the third country to leave the ICC after the Philippines and Burundi.

Its withdrawal will become effective 12 months after the receipt of the letter, but any crimes that occur before it officially leaves remain subject to the court’s jurisdiction.

Earlier this month, more than 30 people were killed when gunmen attacked the main airport in Niger’s capital, Niamey. It was the second attack this year at the airport, a strategic hub that serves as the ruling military’s command, hosting its air force base and most of its drones and aircraft. It’s also the headquarters of the regional alliance that brings together troops from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

The violence is the latest sign of armed groups increasingly targeting cities and urban centers in Africa’s Sahel region.

Hungary moved to leave the ICC last year but reversed course after Viktor Orbán was ousted as president in elections in April.