Lead

Chad has announced its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), becoming the latest country to begin the lengthy process of leaving the Hague-based tribunal. In a statement issued Monday, Chad's Foreign Ministry said it had notified the UN Secretary-General of its decision to exit the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court, citing what it called the ICC's "limited and uneven" effectiveness and an alleged bias against African nations.

Coverage comparison

Reports from multiple outlets confirm the core facts of Chad's announcement, though their emphasis varies. Africa News, Deutsche Welle, and TASS — English focused on the official statement and the reasons given by N'Djamena, while Al Jazeera placed the decision in the broader context of increasing pressure from the United States on the ICC. The Hindu — World noted that the withdrawal process will take at least a year, a point also mentioned in TASS's report. Reports differ on the exact count of recent withdrawals: Africa News listed Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Venezuela as fellow departing states, while The Hindu and Deutsche Welle mentioned only the three Sahel nations, with Al Jazeera describing Chad as the fifth country to withdraw recently, apparently including Venezuela.

Key claims

Chad's Foreign Ministry said the decision followed an "in-depth review" of the ICC's functioning since it began operating in 2002. The ministry's statement argued that the court's record revealed an "undeniable and egregious selectivity in principle," pointing to statistics that nine of the 13 investigations opened by the court since its founding concern African states, while only four involve other regions and those have seen no concrete progress. The statement also noted that of the seven individuals currently in ICC custody, six are linked to African situations.

The government stressed that its decision is final, but added that it does not signal a diminished commitment to fighting impunity. It urged the African Union and its member states to accelerate the creation of African judicial mechanisms, expressing hope that such bodies would provide a "more fair, balanced and efficient system of justice taking into account the sovereignty of African nations."

Chad ratified the Rome Statute in 2006. In line with the treaty's provisions, the withdrawal will officially take effect one year after the UN Secretary-General receives the notice.

US role

The US role in Chad's decision received attention across reports. Africa News noted that last week the Chadian foreign minister's Facebook page said the US had pressured N'Djamena to reconsider its ICC membership, but the minister later denied US involvement, saying Chad "no longer felt in step with the Court as it currently operates." Al Jazeera reported that Washington's pressure on the ICC has intensified since the court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US would wage a campaign to "systematically disable" the ICC, a stance echoed by the US Bureau of African Affairs, which, according to The Hindu, welcomed Chad's decision and called on more member states to withdraw from the Rome Statute, describing the institution as "flawed."

Perspectives

Chadian government

The Chadian government, through its Foreign Ministry, maintains that the ICC's effectiveness is limited and uneven, and that its prosecutions demonstrate a lasting concentration on African countries, which facilitates the court's use for politically motivated reasons. It insists the withdrawal is final and urges the creation of African judicial mechanisms.

United States

The US Bureau of African Affairs welcomed Chad's decision, framing it as part of a broader effort by nations to "reclaim their sovereignty" from the ICC. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a campaign to "systematically disable" the court, accusing it of threatening US national sovereignty.