MALAWI · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Malawi withdrew Tujilane Chizumila, its candidate for judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC), in a notice dated Tuesday, 20 October. The move became public on Saturday, 24 October.
- —Why it matters Malawi now has no candidate in the election of six ICC judges, a vote that decides who sits on the world’s permanent war crimes court.
- —The numbers Six of the court’s 18 judge seats are up for election, for nine-year terms. Eleven candidates remain listed, six of them African, after three withdrawals.
- —Who is who The ICC in The Hague tries individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Its member states elect the judges at the Assembly of States Parties.
- —What to watch Member states vote from 7 to 17 December 2026, and the new judges’ terms start in March 2027.
- —What it means for you The United States is not an ICC member and has sanctioned court officials since 2025, so who joins the bench matters for US policy debates.
Malawi has pulled its candidate for judge at the International Criminal Court, the world’s permanent war crimes court in The Hague. The notice gives no reason, and Malawi now has no one in the December race.
Malawi has withdrawn Tujilane Chizumila from the race for a judge seat at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Nyasa Times reports. The notice is dated Tuesday, 20 October, and Nyasa Times reported it on Saturday, 24 October.
The ICC is the permanent court in The Hague that tries individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Malawi now has no candidate in the election of six new judges that member states hold in December.
What Malawi Told the Court
Nyasa Times says Malawi’s embassy announced the withdrawal in a communication dated Tuesday, 20 October. It says the Assembly of States Parties, the court’s governing body, recorded the move in an addendum.
Nyasa Times says Malawi nominated Chizumila in a communication dated Friday, 27 March 2026. It adds that the new notice gives no reason for the withdrawal.
The Coalition for the ICC, a civil society network that tracks the election, now marks her candidacy as withdrawn. Its page does not say when the change was made.
Chizumila is a former Malawi ombudsman and has served on the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania. Malawi’s foreign minister promoted her to world leaders at the United Nations on Monday, 28 September.
In Plain English: How ICC Judges Are Chosen
- The court: 18 judges sit at the ICC in The Hague.
- The voters: the countries that joined the court, meeting as the Assembly of States Parties.
- The term: nine years, normally with no second term.
- The rule: a winner needs a two-thirds majority of those voting.
The court has 18 judges, and each serves one nine-year term that cannot normally be renewed. This year member states fill six seats, one third of the bench.
Any member country may nominate a candidate. The candidate must be a citizen of a member state and qualified in criminal law or international law.
Article 36 of the Rome Statute, the court’s founding treaty, sets a secret ballot at a meeting of the Assembly. A winner needs the most votes and a two-thirds majority of countries present and voting, so several rounds can be needed.
The voting rules also push for balance. Countries should vote for at least one candidate from each of the African, Asia-Pacific, and Western European and Other groups.
Who Is Still in the Race
Eleven candidates remain active, from 14 nominated, according to the Coalition for the ICC tracker. Tanzania’s Deo John Nangela withdrew by notice dated Thursday, 13 August; Colombia’s Diana Carolina Olarte Bácares, by notice dated Friday, 11 September.
- DR Congo: Ezéchiel Amani Cirimwami
- Ghana: Evelyn Ankumah
- Uganda: Rosette Muzigo-Morrison
- Kenya: Njoki Ndungu
- Senegal: Abdoulaye Seye
- The Gambia: Veronic Wright
- Elsewhere: Denmark, Ukraine, Switzerland, Spain and Japan, one candidate each
Six of the 11 are African, so African states still have a choice in the vote. Malawi was one of eight African countries on the original list of 14.
What It Means for US Readers
The United States is not a member of the ICC, and Washington has sanctioned court judges and prosecutors since 2025. The December vote decides who sits on a bench that the US government has publicly opposed.
No reason has been given, so any link to US policy is not established. Malawi has not said it is leaving the court, and the notice as reported concerns only one candidate.
The Rio Times report of 29 September on Malawi’s UN pitch has the background to her campaign. That report described the court’s pressure from Washington and from several states moving to leave it.
What Is Not Known
It is not known why Malawi withdrew her, because the notice as described gives no reason. Nyasa Times does not quote any Malawian official on the decision.
No source seen says whether Malawi can or will back another candidate, since the nomination period closed on 10 May 2026. Nyasa Times is also the only outlet found reporting the Malawi notice.
The Assembly’s website lists no addendum for Malawi yet. The 20 October notice is therefore known only through Nyasa Times and the Coalition for the ICC.
What Comes Next
Public roundtables with the candidates are planned for October and November, the Coalition for the ICC says. Member states then vote at the Assembly’s 25th session in New York, from Monday, 7 December, to Thursday, 17 December.
The new judges’ nine-year terms begin in March 2027 and run to 2036. The Coalition’s page says the vote is in The Hague, but the Assembly’s own records say New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the International Criminal Court?
It is a permanent court in The Hague that tries individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It has 18 judges, elected by the countries that joined it.
Why did Malawi withdraw its ICC judge candidate?
The notice gives no reason, according to Nyasa Times. Malawi’s government has not been quoted explaining the decision.
How are ICC judges elected?
Member states vote by secret ballot at the Assembly of States Parties. A winner needs the most votes and a two-thirds majority of countries present and voting.
When is the vote?
Member states vote at the Assembly’s 25th session in New York, from 7 to 17 December 2026. Six judges will be chosen for nine-year terms.
Is Malawi leaving the court?
No source seen says so. The reported notice withdraws only Tujilane Chizumila’s candidacy.
Sources: Nyasa Times, 24 October 2026; Coalition for the ICC, 2026 judicial elections page; Assembly of States Parties, Tanzania withdrawal notice; Colombia withdrawal notice; Assembly election page; Rome Statute, Article 36; The Rio Times, 29 September 2026 (all accessed 24 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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