Uganda Threatens to Quit ICC After US Sanctions

What the report says

Uganda has warned that it could withdraw from the International Criminal Court if the tribunal investigates or indicts Ugandans, according to a statement from Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s permanent representative to the United Nations. The remarks came after the United States announced sanctions against the ICC, with Washington accusing the court of overreaching in cases involving Americans and other foreign leaders.

Ayebare said Uganda sees the court as drifting away from its mandate and accused it of undermining state sovereignty and focusing too heavily on African officials. He said Kampala would not hesitate to leave the court if it moves against Ugandan nationals, while still saying Uganda would continue to push for reforms as a member of the ICC Bureau. The government has not issued a formal withdrawal notice.

The article notes that Uganda joined the Rome Statute in 2002 and later referred the Lord’s Resistance Army situation in northern Uganda to the ICC. The court opened investigations in 2004 and later prosecuted former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen, who was convicted and sentenced in 2021. That background makes Uganda’s threat notable because the country has long been one of the ICC’s more significant African partners, even while officials have periodically criticized the court.

Nile Post also placed the dispute in the wider context of rising pressure from Washington on the ICC, including objections to its Afghanistan-related work and warrants for Israeli leaders. The latest exchange adds to a broader debate over the court’s authority, its handling of African cases, and the limits of international justice when powerful states reject its jurisdiction.