Ouagadougou:President Ibrahim Traor, Chairman of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), defended the decision of the union countries to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), asserting that history has validated their choice after several countries announced their departures.

According to Burkina Information Agency, President Traor described the ICC as "an organ of imperialism," claiming it treats African leaders differently than Western ones. He referenced conflicts in Iraq, Libya, and the Ivorian post-election crisis to question the court's effectiveness.

The president highlighted the case of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, who was transferred to the ICC in 2011, acquitted in 2019, and finally exonerated in 2021 after the withdrawal of a prosecutor's appeal. Traor questioned the accountability for the deaths during Gbagbo's tenure, asking, "Who are the guilty parties? Who killed these people?"

Traor argued that the ICC's record suggests a focus on Africa, noting the disproportionate number of African cases compared to Western ones. He stated, "We do not remain in an instrument of domination."

In January 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They followed this by notifying their withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty, in September 2025, with the withdrawal becoming effective in 2026.

President Traor also criticized other international organizations, labeling them as "institutions of domination." He expressed a willingness to depart from such institutions if necessary, saying, "We're not attached to anyone." He suggested that the global challenge to the ICC might prompt other countries to reconsider the institution's relevance.