Chad announces withdrawal from International Criminal Court

Jul 27, 2026

Chad announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, becoming the fifth country to do so recently. The government cited the court's "uneven" effectiveness and bias against African nations, where 9 of 13 ICC investigations are focused. The move follows a direct request from the U.S., which is waging a campaign to "disable" the court after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials in 2024.

Chad ICC withdrawal announcement

▪The ICC, based in The Hague, was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
▪The decision comes amid allegations of Chad's suspected involvement in the conflict in neighboring Sudan.
▪Chad's military government announced on July 27, 2026, that it had begun the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

African bias accusations

▪The Chadian government stated the ICC's effectiveness is "limited and uneven" and condemned its focus on African countries.
▪Nine of the 13 investigations opened by the ICC since its inception concern African states.
▪Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger described the ICC as an "instrument of neo-colonial repression in the hands of imperialism."
▪The Chadian government noted that six of the seven people currently in ICC custody are being prosecuted in cases related to Africa.

US pressure campaign

▪US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the US would wage a campaign to "systematically disable" the ICC's ability to function.
▪Chad's Foreign Ministry stated the decision to withdraw follows a request from the United States.
▪A US deputy secretary of state for African affairs pressed Chad to reconsider its ICC membership during a phone call on July 23, 2026.

Recent wave of withdrawals

▪Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, all with military governments, jointly announced their withdrawal from the ICC in September.
▪Before this recent surge, only Burundi in 2017 and the Philippines in 2019 had withdrawn from the court.
▪Venezuela announced its withdrawal on July 24, 2026, while Hungary announced its withdrawal in April 2025.
▪Chad is the fifth country to announce its withdrawal from the ICC in recent months.

ICC arrest warrants controversy

▪US opposition to the ICC grew after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024.
▪Former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, who secured the arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, was recently dismissed over misconduct allegations.