Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno has been named in a complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over N’Djamena’s alleged support for General Hemeti’s Sudanese rebels. While Chad denies the claims, the case has sparked a significant outcry.
The 26-page document, dated 15 December, was addressed to the office of the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan. Comprising mainly press reports, this submission aims to denounce the alleged involvement of Chad and several of its leaders, including President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, in the war that has ravaged Sudan for nearly three years.
Brought forward by a Sudanese NGO and a French law firm well-known for its work in Africa, the move could push the ICC prosecutor to launch a formal investigation into certain Chadian leaders. While they refute the accusations, the filing further fuels the diplomatic crisis already simmering between Khartoum and N’Djamena.
- What is an ICC ‘signalement’?
The complaint, known as a ‘signalement’, to the ICC is not a legal procedure in the strictest sense, but an act of information sharing addressed to the Court’s prosecutor. It involves providing evidence suggesting the commission of crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction: war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, or crimes of aggression.
READ MORE Drones, gold and covert networks: Foreign hands fuelling Sudan’s relentless war
Upon receipt, the prosecutor’s office carries out a preliminary examination to evaluate two essential points: the Court’s jurisdiction and the gravity of the alleged facts. The ICC may then dismiss the filing, request further information, or decide to proceed further. It is, therefore, an alerting tool, often used as a means of diplomatic and media pressure.
- Who filed the submission?
The process was initiated by the NGO Priority Peace Sudan. Founded on 2 November 2025, its stated aim is the promotion of peace, democracy, and the rule of law in Sudan. In other words, the organisation is a player within Sudanese civil society engaged in international judicial advocacy to document crimes committed in the country.
The association is legally represented by the French law firm Bourdon & Associés, led by William Bourdon, Bertrand Repolt, and Vincent Brengarth. This firm, which has gained prominence in cases involving “ill-gotten gains” by African leaders in France, drafted the communication sent to the ICC.
- What are the accusations against N’Djamena?
According to the submission, Chadian authorities are accused of playing an active role in providing logistical and military support to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been engaged in the Sudanese conflict since April 2023 against the regular army of General Al-Burhan.
The organisation claims that Chad has served as a rear base for the transport of weapons, ammunition, and fighters to Darfur and other combat zones, specifically via military bases within Chad. These transfers were allegedly facilitated by high-level civil and military officials in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates, Hemetti’s primary backer.
However, Chadian territory was targeted on 26 December by an RSF drone, which killed two Chadian soldiers in the border town of Al-Tina. N’Djamena denounced this as an “unjustified aggression” and an “intentional and deliberate” act in violation of international law. Chadian authorities believe this incident proves their neutrality in the Sudanese conflict.
- How has Chad responded?
Chadian authorities have categorically rejected the accusations brought by Priority Peace Sudan, labelling them as unfounded, false, and politically motivated. The government maintains that Chad has provided no military, logistical, or financial support to the RSF and has not authorised any transit of arms or fighters through its territory.
Denouncing the unjustified targeting of President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, N’Djamena’s authorities reiterate that their country is first and foremost a vital humanitarian actor in the Sudanese crisis, hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing Darfur, and that it continues to cooperate with international organisations to stabilise the region.
- What is the position of the Sudanese authorities?
While Khartoum has not commented directly on the ICC initiative, the development occurs against a backdrop of intense diplomatic tension between President Al-Burhan’s Sudan and N’Djamena. The Sudanese government has repeatedly accused Chad of facilitating arms transfers to the RSF, notably taking the matter to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).
In a statement, the Sudanese Ministry of Justice asserted that Chad has played “an essential role in the crimes committed by the rebel militia” and that Sudan holds tangible evidence of this involvement. N’Djamena responded to these accusations by explaining that it has not intervened in Sudan except as a mediator seeking to restore peace.