Chad announced Monday it is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, accusing the Hague-based body of ineffectiveness and bias against African countries.
The government submitted a formal letter to the United Nations to start the process, which takes at least one year under the Rome Statute.
Chad is the latest in a growing wave of exits. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso all began withdrawing last year. Venezuela announced last Friday that it was formally withdrawing as well, accusing the court of “geographical bias” that disproportionately targets countries in Africa and Latin America.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month the United States is launching a campaign to dismantle the ICC’s threat to national sovereignty. A February 2025 executive order signed by President Trump imposed sanctions on the court over its investigations of Israel.
The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs welcomed Chad’s move Monday on X, calling on more of the 125 member states to withdraw and “reclaim their sovereignty from this flawed institution.”
