Chad announces withdrawal from the International Criminal Court
Chad's government has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), becoming the fourth French-speaking African nation to do so within a year. The foreign ministry criticized the ICC for selectivity and called on other African Union members to follow suit.
Withdrawal from the Rome Statute
Chad's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday informing the UN Secretary General of its intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the treaty underpinning the International Criminal Court (ICC). This move makes Chad the fourth francophone African country with a government closely linked to the military to take such a step in less than a year, following the coordinated exit by the juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger last September.
Criticism of the ICC
The ministry said the decision followed an in-depth review of the ICC's functioning since its inception in 2002 and its record, which it described as limited in effectiveness and uneven across regions. It highlighted selectivity in prosecutions: nine of 13 ICC investigations concern African states, while only four apply to other regions and have made no concrete progress. Of seven individuals detained as a result of ICC investigations, only one is not from Africa. Chad alleged this demonstrates a lasting concentration on the Global South and Africa in particular.
Chad also appealed to other African Union members to follow its example. The statement emphasized that the withdrawal "in no way constitutes a renunciation of the moral imperative to provide justice to victims" but reflects a conviction that national judicial systems and African mechanisms are fully capable of carrying out this mission with dignity.
US role
Last Thursday, Chad's Foreign Ministry had also raised the ICC issue after talks with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia Jr. The US expressed concerns about the ICC's functionality and urged Chad to reconsider its commitment to the Rome Statute. Chad said the request would be examined by responsible authorities.
Political context
The withdrawal coincides with last week's vote to dismiss ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The US, like Russia and several other major countries, never ratified the Rome Statute, though past administrations broadly supported the court. That changed after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister soon after Donald Trump's victory in the November 2024 election. The second Trump administration has often criticized both the ICC and the UN.
Chad and President Mahamat Idriss Deby
Chad now has a nominally civilian government, but the same family with close military ties has been in power for over 35 years. Former President Idriss Deby took power in a 1990 coup and ruled until his death in 2021. His son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, became head of a transitional military council. He won presidential elections in May 2024 with 60.1% of the vote, though results were disputed. Main challenger Succès Masra was arrested in May 2025 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Chad continues to fight an insurgency in the north and hosts refugees from Sudan's civil war.
