Chad to Withdraw from ICC, Accuses Court of Unfairly Targeting African Nations

Chad has announced plans to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the global tribunal has failed to deliver balanced justice and has disproportionately focused its investigations on African countries.

The Chadian government made the announcement on Monday, saying the decision followed a comprehensive review of the court’s performance since it began operations in 2002. Officials concluded that the ICC’s effectiveness has been “limited and uneven” across different regions of the world.

Government spokesperson Gassim Chérif Mahamat said the review found what Chad described as a pattern of selective justice, noting that most of the court’s investigations have centered on Africa.

According to the government, nine of the 13 investigations opened by the ICC since its establishment involve African countries, while only four concern other regions, which Chad claims have produced little tangible progress.

“The court has only seven people in custody, six of whom are being prosecuted in African situations,” the statement said, arguing that the statistics reinforce perceptions of an imbalance in the court’s operations.

The announcement comes weeks after Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger jointly declared their intention to leave the ICC, accusing the tribunal of serving as an instrument of external political influence rather than an impartial body for international justice.

Chad also disclosed that its decision followed diplomatic discussions with the United States. According to a statement published last week by the country’s foreign ministry, a senior U.S. official urged N’Djamena during a telephone conversation to review its membership of the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC.

The withdrawal announcement also comes as Chad faces allegations from national and international organizations over its alleged involvement in the conflict in neighboring Sudan. The government has not linked its decision directly to those claims but maintains that its move is based on concerns over the court’s fairness and effectiveness.

If completed, Chad would become the latest African nation to seek an exit from the ICC, adding fresh momentum to a growing debate over the court’s relationship with the continent and its role in global justice.