# Five Countries Head For The Exit At The ICC

> Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Venezuela and Chad filed to quit the world's war crimes court while Washington cheered them on.
- Title: Five Countries Head For The Exit At The ICC · Dallas Express
- Summary: Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Venezuela and Chad filed to quit the world's war crimes court while Washington cheered them on. Quitting the ICC is slow and…
- Keywords: icc, international law, us foreign policy, venezuela, sahel, news, politics, Five, Countries, Head, Exit, Dallas Express
- Source: Dallas Express — https://dallasexpress.com/national/five-countries-move-to-leave-icc-as-u-s-pressure-intensifies
- Author: Dallas Express
- Published: 2026-09-12T16:00:28+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: icc, international law, us foreign policy, venezuela, sahel, news, politics
## Five exits on the record
Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Venezuela and Chad filed withdrawal notices from the Rome Statute between June 18 and July 27, according to the UN treaty record.

> Five countries so far have announced plans to withdraw from the Rome Statute, and we welcome more announcements in the future
## Nobody leaves until 2027
Withdrawal takes effect one year after notification. All five stay among the court's 125 states parties until then, with full obligations intact.
## What the court exists for
The Rome Statute created the Hague tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression when national courts refuse to act.
## America never joined
The U.S. signed in 2000 but never ratified. In 2002 it told the UN it would not become a party and considered itself free of any obligation from that signature.
## Rubio opens a campaign
On July 13 the Secretary of State launched a push against the court's claim of jurisdiction over U.S. personnel and allies, using sanctions, travel bans and diplomatic pressure.
## Sanctions hit the bench
Treasury sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye on August 18, tied to the Afghanistan inquiry and warrants sought against Israeli officials over Gaza.
## A phone call, then Chad left
Chad's foreign minister says a U.S. official raised concerns about the court on a July 23 call and asked Chad to reconsider membership. The notice went in four days later.
## The Sahel's own grievance
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their exit in September 2025 on different grounds, calling the court selective and an instrument of neocolonial repression. Venezuela cited sovereignty.

> neocolonial repression
## Leaving does not erase cases
Article 127 preserves prior obligations. The Philippines quit in 2019 and Duterte still faces trial on November 30, while the Venezuela I investigation stays open.
## Key takeaway

Quitting the ICC is slow and partial: the exits take a year, and cases opened before departure keep running, as Duterte's November trial shows.