Burundi plans to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), in the wake of the court’s decision to undertake investigations into the political violence that marred President Jean Pierre Nkurunziza’s disputed re-election early this year.

The tiny central Africa nation slipped into chaos in May 2015 after Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term, violating the nation’s constitution and the Arusha deal that ended years of civil war in 2000.

“We have sent to the national assembly a draft law for adoption…to withdraw from the ICC. We found it was necessary to withdraw from the organization so we can really be free, “Reuters quoted Gaston Sindimwo, the first vice-president, after a cabinet meeting early this week.

The decision came days after the government rejected a United Nation-led commission to investigate the violence.

It said that the move was against Burundi’s sovereignty. An UN-commissioned report named the government and its allies as responsible for unlawfully killing over 560 people, Punch reported.

The court took a decision to undertake investigations into the violence, in April.  It reported acts of killings, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence.

According to the United Nations, at least 430 people died and over 230,000 others forced to flee into neighboring nations, Al Jazeera reported.

The government clamped down on those who opposed Nkurunziza’s decision and arbitrary imprisoned at least 3,400 people including opposition politicians.

The ICC investigations are likely to implicate Nkurunziza and top government officials. The intention to withdraw is likely meant to shield the head of state, who has found himself on the wrong end of the international judicial system, like several other leaders across the continent.

Omar el-Bashir, president of Sudan was indicted by the court in 2009 for crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, from 200 to 2008 that killed at least 300,000 people and displaced at least 2.3 million others, according to data collected by the UN.

The Hague-based court acquitted Uhuru Kenyatta, president of Kenya and his deputy, William Ruto alleging non-corporation from the Kenyan government and witness interference.

Charles Taylor became the first former head of state from Africa to be convicted by the court when he was handed a 50-year jail sentence in April 2012.

Burundi’s intention to pull out of the court comes after several African nations indicated their intentions to pull out of ICC en masse.

Kenya, Chad and Uganda are some of the countries who have supported similar moves.

Human rights defendants across the continent, however see the moves as part of the continent’s presidents to protect their own interests in a continent where politics has caused numerous acts of human rights abuses, deaths and bloodshed.