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The United States has urged all International Criminal Court (ICC) member states to withdraw from the organisation following Chad’s decision to leave the court.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, the US Bureau of African Affairs praised Chad’s withdrawal from the ICC and described it as part of a growing movement by countries seeking to reclaim their sovereignty from what Washington called a “flawed institution.”
“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,” it wrote.
Quoting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, it added: “The United States will never surrender its sovereignty to an unaccountable global tribunal, and we are launching a comprehensive, whole-of-government campaign to end the ICC’s illegitimate overreach.”
“We call on all other ICC members to withdraw from the Rome Statute.”
The ICC, established under the Rome Statute adopted in 1998 and operational since 2002, is the world’s first permanent international criminal court. It prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so.
Although the United States participated in negotiations that led to the Rome Statute, it never became a member of the court.
The US signed the treaty in 2000 under President Bill Clinton but did not seek Senate ratification.
In 2002, President George W. Bush’s administration formally notified the United Nations that Washington did not intend to become a party to the treaty, effectively withdrawing its signature.
Successive US administrations have maintained varying degrees of opposition to the court, arguing that the ICC could assert jurisdiction over American citizens and military personnel without US consent. Washington has consistently maintained that such authority infringes on US sovereignty.
The Trump administration sharply escalated that opposition by imposing sanctions on ICC officials over investigations involving US personnel in Afghanistan and later over the court’s actions relating to Israel. The administration has argued that the court has exceeded its mandate and lacks jurisdiction over countries that are not parties to the Rome Statute.
Chad’s decision to withdraw follows growing scrutiny of the ICC in parts of Africa, where some governments have accused the court of disproportionately targeting African leaders and conflicts.
While several African countries have previously announced plans to leave the ICC, most later reversed course, leaving the court with broad membership across the continent.
Under the Rome Statute, a country’s withdrawal takes effect one year after the United Nations Secretary-General receives formal notification. Withdrawal does not affect ongoing investigations or proceedings that began before the withdrawal becomes effective.
The United States’ latest appeal is therefore likely to intensify debate over the future of the ICC, as Washington seeks to persuade member states to leave the tribunal while reaffirming that it will not submit to the court’s jurisdiction.
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. As @SecRubio has stated, the United States will never surrender its sovereignty to an unaccountable global…
— Bureau of African Affairs (@AsstSecStateAF) July 27, 2026
