The Chadian government has made the decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) following a critical assessment of the court’s operations. In an official statement released on July 27, 2026, N’Djamena cited the ICC’s “undeniable selectivity,” which it argues disproportionately targets African nations.
On the same day, the Government of the Republic of Chad formally notified the United Nations Secretary-General—depositary of the Rome Statute—of its sovereign choice to depart from the ICC, invoking Article 127 of the Rome Statute.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and Chadians Abroad explained in its statement that the decision stems from a “thorough review of the ICC’s performance since its inception in 2002.” It concluded that the court’s effectiveness has been “limited and inconsistent,” falling short of the expectations set at its creation.
Chadian authorities backed their stance with ICC statistics updated as of May 11, 2026. Out of 125 States Parties to the Rome Statute, 33 are African. Since its establishment, the court has opened 13 investigations, with a majority centered in Africa.
The statement highlighted that “9 of the situations under investigation involve African countries, compared to just 4 in other regions—with limited tangible progress.” It also pointed out that, as of that date, “6 of the 7 individuals detained by the court are being prosecuted in African cases, while only one is linked to a non-African situation.”
The Chadian government argued that these figures reflect a “widely held perception of a lasting concentration of judicial activity on the Global South—particularly Africa,” adding that this reinforces concerns of “political instrumentalization” within the ICC.
In response, N’Djamena urged the African Union and its member states to bolster continental judicial mechanisms. The goal? To foster “a more equitable, balanced, credible, and effective African justice system,” one that upholds national sovereignty.
While withdrawing from the ICC, the Chadian government reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment to combating impunity for the most serious crimes.” It emphasized that African national courts and regional judicial bodies now possess the growing capacity to handle such cases independently.
