Africa: Why Do Most African Countries Stay with the ICC?

What the report says

African criticism of the International Criminal Court has resurfaced after Chad announced it would leave the court, following earlier withdrawal moves by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The DW report, distributed by AllAfrica and published on 6 August 2026, says the Sahel governments argued that the ICC is ineffective, unbalanced or a neocolonial tool, while the court itself remains a central venue for international war-crimes accountability.

Despite the backlash, most African states remain members of the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC in 2002. The article notes that 33 African countries are parties to the court, and that many early ICC cases came from voluntary referrals by African governments seeking help when domestic justice systems were unable or unwilling to act. Analysts quoted in the piece say this helps explain why some states still support the court even while criticizing it.

The report also places the withdrawals in a wider political context. It cites concerns about selective justice, the ICC’s focus in its early years on Africa, and the fact that more current investigations now involve places outside the continent, including Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Venezuela, the Philippines and Ukraine. Human rights groups warn that leaving the court can reduce protection for victims who may have no other path to justice.

The article adds that remaining in the ICC can also signal support for human rights, rule of law and diplomatic credibility, even as the court faces pressure and controversy, including moves by some states to weaken it.