Gambia Withdraws from the International Criminal Court with More African States Likely to Follow

On October 25, 2016, Gambia’s information minister announced that the country is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC).It was only five days after the South African government had sent an “instrument of withdrawal” letter to the United Nations Secretary-General explaining its intention. Gambia became the third African nation – following Burundi and South Africa – to withdraw from the ICC. In a statement on state television, Gambian Information Minister Sheriff Bojang alleged that the Court was clearly designed by Western whites to target African blacks, echoing complaints by South African and Burundian officials that the international justice system focuses its attention solely on cases from Africa.