Gayton McKenzie accused of not understanding fashion industry after his meeting with Shein
Fashion designer David Tlale said he doesn’t think Gayton McKenzie understands the complexities of the clothing and textile industry.
The announcement, in a joint statement released Monday, exemplifies the diplomatic turmoil in West Africa's Sahel region following eight coups between 2020 and 2023.
The three countries, ruled by military forces, have already broken away from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and formed an organization known as the Alliance of Sahel States. They have also halted defense cooperation with Western powers and sought closer ties with Russia.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have been members of the ICC, based in The Hague, for more than two decades. But in their statement, they stated that they considered the court incapable of prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression, and genocide. The statement did not specify examples of cases in which the countries believed the ICC had failed.
All three countries are fighting Islamist militant groups that control large swaths of territory and have carried out frequent attacks on military installations this year.
Human Rights Watch and other groups have accused the militants, as well as the armies and associated forces of Burkina Faso and Mali, of possible atrocity crimes.
In April, UN experts stated that the alleged summary execution of several dozen civilians by Malian forces could constitute war crimes.
The ICC has been investigating Mali since 2013 for alleged war crimes committed mainly in the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu, and Kidal, which had fallen under militant control.
That same year, France intervened to push back the insurgents.
The investigation into Mali was opened following a referral from the then government.
