Chad ICC withdrawal adds to wave of exits from court
Chad says it has begun leaving the ICC, becoming the fifth recent state to quit as Washington increases pressure on the court.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Chad has started the process of leaving the International Criminal Court, making the chad icc withdrawal the latest in a series of exits from the tribunal, according to the country’s military government. The move matters because it adds pressure on a court already facing criticism from several governments and an escalating campaign from the United States.
The government announced the decision on Monday, AFP and Reuters reported. Chad said the court, based in The Hague, had shown limited results and applied justice unevenly.
Chad’s government also accused the ICC of focusing heavily on African countries. In its statement, the government said nine of the 13 investigations opened since the court began operating concerned African states, while four were opened elsewhere “but without any concrete progress.”
Why is Chad leaving the ICC?
Chad’s government said it objected to what it described as selective action by the court and a concentration of ICC activity in Africa. The Foreign Ministry also said the decision followed a request from Washington.
According to a statement posted by Chad’s Foreign Ministry, a US deputy secretary of state for African affairs urged Chad during a Thursday phone call to review its membership in the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC. The ministry said the American side raised concerns about how the court works.
Chad is the fifth country in recent months to move to leave the tribunal, AFP and Reuters reported. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, all led by military governments, jointly announced in September that they would withdraw, accusing the court of selective justice. Venezuela said on Friday that it would also exit, citing alleged bias.
What is the ICC?
The International Criminal Court was created in 2002 to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Member countries are required to arrest people covered by ICC warrants, according to AFP and Reuters.
The court’s authority has drawn longstanding opposition from Washington, and that opposition has intensified since the ICC issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that the Trump administration would wage a campaign to “systematically disable” the ICC’s ability to operate.
The latest withdrawals also come during turmoil at the court. Former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan was dismissed days ago over misconduct allegations, according to AFP and Reuters. Khan’s defence team said his removal was “politicised.”
Before the recent cluster of withdrawals, only Burundi in 2017 and the Philippines in 2019 had left the ICC, AFP and Reuters reported. Hungary, which hosted Netanyahu in April 2025, announced its own withdrawal from the court the day before his arrival.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.