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Why do most African countries stay with the ICC?

Deutsche Welle · 🇩🇪 public Germany · · 1129 words · By Martina Schwikowski
International Justice vs. National Sovereignty Western Bias in Global Institutions Human Rights Accountability
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Deutsche Welle reports: Why do most African countries stay with the ICC?.

Claims checked 15
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Deutsche Welle reports: Why do most African countries stay with the ICC?.

Why it matters

August 6, 2026 The establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2002 was seen as a breakthrough in the global fight against war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

Common ground

Yet criticism from parts of Africa is almost as old as the ICC itself: Time and again, the court has been accused of targeting Africa in a one-sided manner.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dw.com/en/africa-and-the-icc-why-most-countries-are-staying/a-782534…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
schedule Pending 5
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
report Misleading 1
verified
Claim 1: “The establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2002”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia explicitly states the ICC was established in 2002 under the Rome Statute.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. Established in 2002 under the multilateral Rome Statute, the IC…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Court
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is the officer of the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose duties include the investigation and prosecution of the crimes under the jurisdiction…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecutor_of_the_Internationa…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States is not a state party to the Rome Statute, which founded the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2002. As of January 2025, 125 states are members of the Court. Other states that hav…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_and_the_Internat…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “In September 2025, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger initiated their withdrawal from the ICC”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger initiated their withdrawal from the ICC, with one source mentioning applications dating back to 2025.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Beginning in 2022, France began to withdraw military troops from several West African nations following decades of military presence and interventions. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad all unilater…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_military_withdrawal_fro…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso – landlocked sovereign country located in West Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Burkina_Faso
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Alliance of Sahel States (French: Alliance des États du Sahel; AES), also known as the Confederation of Sahel States (French: Confédération des États du Sahel) or AES Confederation, is a political…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_of_Sahel_States
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “Its members have voted to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan amid allegations of sexual misconduct.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple news sources and Wikipedia confirm that ICC member states voted to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 21 November 2024, following an investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two senior Israeli officials, Benjamin Neta…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_arrest_warrants_for_Israel…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Karim Asad Ahmad Khan (born 30 March 1970) is a British lawyer who served as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court from 2021 to 2026. He specialises in international criminal law and internat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karim_Ahmad_Khan
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is the officer of the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose duties include the investigation and prosecution of the crimes under the jurisdiction…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecutor_of_the_Internationa…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “The US itself is not a member of the court”
CORROBORATED
Three independent cross-references (BBC, The Guardian) confirm the US is not a member of the ICC.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Neither the US, Israel or Iran are members of the International Criminal Court
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjv02g54ko?at_medium=RSS…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jul/31/us-iran-w…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — The United States, Russia and Israel are not members of the ICC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77yx53015no?at_medium=RSS…
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Claim 5: “Today, 125 countries are parties to the statute. Of these, 33 are African states”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this claim are dictionary definitions of the word 'there' and do not contain any data regarding the number of ICC member states or African states.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — We can use there at the start of a clause as a type of indefinite subject. This means that we can put the actual subject at the end of the clause and so give it emphasis or focus (underlined below): …
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/there
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web search NEUTRAL — There is your everyday hangout where you can have fun with your friends and meet new ones -- all in a lush 3D environment that's yours to explore! Sign up today!
https://there.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · Note: Do not confuse there, which has meanings that mostly relate to a literal or abstract location, with the words their and they're. Their has to do with what belongs to or is associate…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/there
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Claim 6: “At the end of July, Chad also announced its withdrawal from the court in The Hague”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm Chad announced its withdrawal from the ICC in July (one source specifically mentions July 27 and another mentions July 2026).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. Established in 2002 under the multilateral Rome Statute, the IC…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Court
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Criminal Court has opened investigations in Afghanistan, Bangladesh/Myanmar, Burundi, the Central African Republic (twice), Côte d'Ivoire, Darfur in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Court_i…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The states parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court are those sovereign states that have ratified, or have otherwise become party to, the Rome Statute. The Rome Statute is the t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_parties_to_the_Rome_Sta…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 7: “major powers such as the US, Russia, and China — which are not members and do not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
report
Claim 8: “In 1998, Senegal became the first country to sign the Rome Statute”
MISLEADING
The claim states Senegal was the first to 'sign' in 1998, but evidence from the Embassy of Senegal and NYT clarifies that Senegal was the first to 'ratify' the statute on February 2, 1999. Signing and ratifying are different legal steps.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sidiki Kaba (born 21 August 1950) is a Senegalese politician who served as the 15th Prime Minister of Senegal from 6 March 2024 to 3 April 2024. He is the keeper of the seals and the Minister of Justi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidiki_Kaba
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). It was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy on 17 July 1998 and…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_Statute
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The states parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court are those sovereign states that have ratified, or have otherwise become party to, the Rome Statute. The Rome Statute is the t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_parties_to_the_Rome_Sta…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “The withdrawals officially take effect one year after they are announced.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources confirm that ICC withdrawals take effect one year after the announcement/notification.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The withdrawals officially take effect one year after they are announced. At the same time, the ICC is at the center of a scandal: Its members have voted to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan amid all…
https://allafrica.com/stories/202608070089.html
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web search NEUTRAL — The countries’ withdrawal from the ICC was not unexpected after the coups that brought the military to power in the three states from 2020 to 2023.Withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after t…
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/23/military-run-niger-…
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web search NEUTRAL — According to ICC, the withdrawal will only come into effect one year after the official notification. The Court's founding Rome Statute sets out the tribunal's jurisdiction over genocide, crimes again…
https://ugandaradionetwork.net/story/icc-withdrawals-could-s…
info
Claim 10: “Burundi was the first African state to do so in 2016”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general history of Burundi from Wikipedia and does not mention its status as the first African state to withdraw from the ICC in 2016.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Burundi, oficialmente República de Burundi (en kirundi: Republika y'u Burundi, pronunciado / buˈɾundi /; en francés: République du Burundi, pronunciado / by.ʁynˈdi /), es un Estado soberano, ubicado e…
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burundi
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Burundi gained independence in 1962 and initially retained the monarchy. However, a coup d'état in 1966 replaced the monarchy with a one-party republic, and for the next 27 years, Burundi was ruled by…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burundi
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Burundi originated in the 16th century as a small kingdom in the African Great Lakes region. After European contact, it was united with the Kingdom of Rwanda, becoming the colony of Ruanda-Urundi - fi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Burundi
schedule
Claim 11: “countries such as Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and even Mali have in the past themselves requested the ICC's intervention”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 12: “the court had issued an arrest warrant for war crimes in Darfur [against Omar al-Bashir]”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 13: “The ICC has also issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm arrest warrants were issued for both Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — The ICC issued arrest warrants for war crimes against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/04/27/italian-culture-…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Khan, chief prosecutor since 2021, issued arrest warrants for figures including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
https://www.dw.com/en/iccs-karim-khan-suspended-over-claims-…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — The International Criminal Court has issued separate arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin (March 2023) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (November 2024), charging them with…
https://www.dailydispatch.co.za/news/2026-04-15-dirco-boss-d…
schedule
Claim 14: “more active investigations are taking place outside Africa than within the continent — for example, in Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Ukraine”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 15: “South Africa formally initiated its withdrawal from the ICC in 2016 but halted the process in March 2017.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.