Chad to quit International Criminal Court

Chad announced Monday that it plans to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to its "limited and inconsistent" track record and "undeniable selectivity" in targeting nations.

In a statement, government spokesman Gassim Cherif said Chad's decision follows “an in-depth review of the functioning of the International Criminal Court since it began operating in 2002, as well as its 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 founding treaty of the ICC.

It denounced what it described as a concentration of the ICC's investigations on African countries.

It noted that of the 13 investigations the ICC has opened since its inception, nine involve African countries compared to four opened in other regions of the world.

“The court has only seven people in custody, six of whom are being prosecuted in African situations,” the statement said.

Cherif also said that Chad's withdrawal is part of a “broader and pan-African vision.”

“We believe that the ICC has become a tool of domination, an instrument of neocolonialism,” he said.

Chad becomes the latest African country on the continent to announce their planned withdrawal from the ICC after Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso last September.

In 2017, the Burundian government withdrew from the ICC, accusing the court of targeting mainly African leaders.

Chad’s move follows Venezuela, which last Friday notified the UN of the country's decision to withdraw from the court, citing “geographical bias” against the Global South.

It comes at a time when the court is facing pressure and criticism from the US.

The US State Department has described the court as “corrupt” and “lacking all credibility.”

The US, itself not a member of the ICC, 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 called on the Chadian government to reconsider its ICC membership.

In accordance with Article 127 of the Treaty, the withdrawal will take effect one year after receipt of the notification.

In 2016, South Africa and Gambia announced their intention to quit the court. However, the withdrawals did not materialize. Pretoria reversed its move after a court decision, while a new Gambian government cancelled the procedure.