Chad announced on Monday, July 27, its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which it accuses of political manipulation and bias, arguing that the ICC focuses primarily on Africa. This decision, with significant diplomatic and legal implications, makes Chad the fifth country to leave the court based in The Hague.
Chad is turning a page on twenty years of cooperation with the International Criminal Court. On July 27, 2026, Chad officially notified its withdrawal from the Rome Statute, denouncing a justice system with inconsistent application and an institution deemed too focused on Africa. While the decision will not take effect until July 2027, it marks another blow for the ICC, which is already facing growing opposition from several African states. The withdrawal, however, does not erase the proceedings already initiated by the Court.
“Generally speaking, regarding Africa and the Global South, the Chadian government has decided to withdraw from the ICC because not only Chad, but other African countries believe that the ICC has become a political tool, a form of political hegemony over Africans. This decision can only bring comfort to our people, and this injustice cannot continue.”
Gassim Cherif Mahamat, Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson – Chad
Established in 2002 to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression, the ICC now has 125 States Parties. Chad criticizes the court for its unbalanced justice: of the 13 investigations opened since its creation, 9 concern African countries. According to court data from May 2026, six of the seven people currently detained are being prosecuted in cases related to the African continent. N’Djamena presents these figures as proof of the institution’s selectivity.
“This decision is the culmination of careful consideration over several years. Since the creation of the ICC in 2002, there has been a recurring theme that all the arrests and judgments have disproportionately concerned countries of the Global South, and especially African countries.”
Gassim Cherif Mahamat, Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson – Chad
This decision comes in a sensitive geopolitical context. The Chadian government states that it re-examined its membership after discussions with the United States, which is not a member of the ICC and regularly criticizes its operations. It also comes at a time when Chad is cited in several reports for its alleged role as a logistical hub in the conflict in Sudan, accusations that the authorities reject. Following Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, this withdrawal confirms a growing questioning of international criminal justice by several African states, in the name of national sovereignty.
