ICC prosecutor to investigate alleged war crimes in Burundi

The International Criminal Court on Thursday approved a prosecution request to formally investigate war crimes in Burundi. They were allegedly committed by the government and government-linked groups against political opponents from April 2015 to October 2017, Reuters reports. The decision follows Burundi’s decision to seek withdrawal from the court as of October 26, 2017. However, the court will still have jurisdiction over crimes committed while Burundi was a member. The court said the prosecutor has presented evidence of crimes against humanity worth investigating, leading to more than 1,000 deaths and the displacement of more than 400,000 people.