Sudan has formally accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of violating the Genocide Convention by supporting paramilitary forces responsible for atrocities in the Darfur region. In a session at the UN’s top court in The Hague, Sudan’s acting justice minister, Muawia Osman, alleged that the UAE has provided weapons and logistical support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which he claimed are committing genocide against the Masalit ethnic group in western Sudan.
Osman described the support as ongoing and critical to what he called a campaign of killing, rape, forced displacement, and destruction carried out by the RSF and allied militias. He urged the court to issue emergency measures to prevent further escalation, requesting that the UAE be ordered to cease any form of complicity and to report regularly on its actions until a final ruling is reached. Sudan initially filed the case last month, a move the UAE has dismissed as baseless, politically motivated, and lacking evidence.
In response to Sudan’s accusations, the UAE maintained its neutrality in the Sudanese conflict and questioned the court’s jurisdiction. Reem Ketait, Assistant Deputy Minister of Political Affairs in the UAE’s foreign ministry, reiterated the country’s call for peace and stability in Sudan, stating that it supports neither party in the ongoing civil war. The UAE also accused Sudan of misusing the World Court for propaganda purposes, describing the case as a cynical public relations tactic aimed at diverting attention from the Sudanese Armed Forces’ own alleged abuses.
The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 when power struggles between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo erupted into full-scale war. The violence has plunged the country into a dire humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and famine looming. The United
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