THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — On Monday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Sudan’s case against the United Arab Emirates, which had been accused of violating the genocide convention by providing support to the rebel paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, amid Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict.
Judges determined that the ICJ did not possess the jurisdiction to pursue the case further. Both nations are party to the 1948 genocide convention, but the UAE has an exemption concerning aspects of the treaty that limit the court’s authority.
In March, Sudan requested the ICJ to issue several provisional measures, asking the UAE to do everything within its power to halt the killings and other acts of violence against the Masalit community.
The UAE characterized the legal action as a mere publicity stunt and asserted during a hearing last month that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
“This case lacks both legal and factual merit. The UAE is not participating in the conflict, and it is merely a diversion by the Sudanese Armed Forces, one of the involved factions, to deflect attention from its own obligations,” stated Reem Ketait, a senior official at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before the court’s ruling.
While both countries have agreed to the 1948 genocide convention, legal analysts suggest that the UAE’s reservation to parts of the treaty reduces the likelihood of the case advancing.
The conflict in Sudan erupted into violence in mid-April 2023, as longstanding disputes between the military and competing paramilitary factions ignited in Khartoum and spread to other areas.
Serious allegations of human rights violations have been leveled against both the Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s military.
The UAE, a coalition of seven emirates on the Arabian Peninsula and a U.S. ally, has faced repeated claims of supplying arms to the RSF, which it has consistently denied despite mounting evidence.