Chad has announced its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the court of being ineffective and disproportionately targeting African countries.
If completed, Chad would become the fourth African country to initiate withdrawal from the Rome Statute since 2025, following Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
In a statement explaining the decision, Chadian authorities criticised the ICC’s record, arguing that the court has failed to deliver impartial justice and has demonstrated bias against African states.
The announcement was welcomed by the United States. The US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs described Chad’s decision as a positive step and called on more of the ICC’s 125 member states to reconsider their membership.
Chad’s planned withdrawal adds to growing debate over the role of the ICC in Africa, where some governments have long argued that the court unfairly focuses on the continent while failing to pursue accountability for alleged crimes committed elsewhere.
Withdrawal from the ICC is a formal legal process governed by the Rome Statute and does not take effect immediately. The move is expected to draw renewed international attention to the future of the court and its relationship with African member states.
