Their officials cite anti-African bias and limited effectiveness as reasons for withdrawing.
The nation of Chad has announced its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), having officially notified United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. This decision came at the United States’ request, after Chad’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, spoke with U.S. Under Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia, Jr., four days earlier.
Assistant Secretary Garcia shared concerns regarding the ICC’s operations and asked Chad to review its membership. The U.S. is not currently a part of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and has long rejected the court’s claim of jurisdiction over U.S. nationals. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced a campaign to dismantle “the threat posed by the [ICC] to U.S. sovereignty.”
Chad’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited the limited effectiveness of the court as part of the decision to withdraw. They also alleged that the court has an anti-African bias, noting that the first nine investigations done by the ICC concerned situations in Africa, as well as the fact that six of seven people currently in the court’s custody are connected to situations in Africa.
The State Department responded, “The United States welcomes Chad’s decision to withdraw from the ICC and join the growing number of nations reclaiming their sovereignty from this flawed institution.”
Chad’s withdrawal from the ICC will take effect in one year. They have joined the nations of Venezuela, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in opting to withdraw from the ICC.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Rubio and Under Assistant Secretary Garcia as they advocate for allies’ withdrawal from the ICC.
- For U.S. State Department officials as they seek to ensure justice for Americans abroad.
- For President Trump and his Cabinet members to seek God’s guidance in their foreign policies.
Sources: UPI News, AP News
