Tchad-quiets-cpi-over-focus-on-africa

Chad withdraws from International Criminal Court citing biased decisions

The government of Chad announced its decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing a perceived lack of impartiality in the court’s decisions.

In a statement released on July 27, 2026, the Chadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration justified its move by pointing out that the ICC has focused primarily on African countries since its inception in 2002.

The ministry stated that it had conducted an in-depth examination of the court’s functioning and found its effectiveness to be limited and inconsistent with initial expectations.

According to the Chadian government, statistics from the ICC show that out of 125 member states, 33 are African nations. The court has opened 13 investigations since its inception, with most cases involving African countries.

The statement also highlighted the high number of African cases (9) compared to non-African cases (4), and noted that six individuals currently detained by the ICC are being prosecuted in African situations, while only one is from a non-African country.

Chad’s government believes this data supports its claim that the court has become biased towards African countries and is using its power for political purposes.

As a result, Chad is calling on the African Union and its member states to strengthen their judicial mechanisms to promote more equitable and effective justice within Africa.