The United States has called on Nigeria and other African countries that are signatories to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to withdraw from the global war crimes tribunal, describing it as a “flawed institution” that undermines national sovereignty.
The call was made by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs in a post on X on Monday following Chad’s decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
The development signals a renewed push by the administration of President Donald Trump against the Hague-based court, which Washington has long criticized over what it considers politically motivated investigations and prosecutions.
Reacting to Chad’s withdrawal, the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs welcomed the move, saying it represented a step toward reclaiming national sovereignty.
- “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,” the Bureau said in its X post.
- “We encourage all states that are party to the Rome Statute to reconsider their membership in the ICC,” it added.
Nigeria is among the 125 countries that are parties to the Rome Statute and remains under the jurisdiction of the ICC, which prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
