Chad to Withdraw from International Criminal Court
Kigali, Rwanda (ANTARA) - Chad announced on Monday that it plans to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing the court’s ‘limited and inconsistent’ record and ‘undeniable selectivity’ in targeting states.
In a statement, government spokesman Gassim Cherif said Chad’s decision followed ‘a thorough review of the functioning of the International Criminal Court since it began operating in 2022, as well as its track record, whose effectiveness remains limited and uneven across different regions.’
The statement said the government had formally notified UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of its decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
The statement condemned what it described as the ICC’s concentration of investigations on African states.
It noted that of the 13 investigations opened by the ICC since its founding, nine involved African states compared with four opened in other regions of the world.
‘The court has detained only seven people, six of whom were tried in situations in Africa,’ the statement said.
Cherif also said Chad’s withdrawal was part of a ‘broader, pan-African vision.’
‘We believe the ICC has become a tool of domination, an instrument of neo-colonialism,’ he said.
Chad becomes the latest African state to announce plans to withdraw from the ICC, following Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso last September.
In 2017, the Burundian government withdrew from the ICC, accusing the court of primarily targeting African leaders.
Chad’s move follows Venezuela, which on Friday informed the UN of its decision to withdraw from the court, citing ‘geographic bias’ against countries of the South.
This comes at a time when the court is facing pressure and criticism from the United States.
The US Department of State has described the court as ‘corrupt’ and ‘lacking any credibility whatsoever.’
The United States, which is not an ICC member, welcomed Venezuela’s decision to begin withdrawing from the ICC and urged other countries to follow suit.
Media reports said US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, had asked the Chadian government to reconsider its ICC membership.
Under Article 127 of the treaty, withdrawal takes effect one year after notification is received.
In 2016, South Africa and Gambia announced their intention to leave the court. However, those withdrawals never materialised.
Pretoria reversed its move following a court decision, while Gambia’s new government cancelled the procedure.