The International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismissed Sudan’s case accusing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of fueling genocide in Darfur by providing weapons to paramilitary forces, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
Sudan had argued before the UN’s highest court that the UAE was violating the Genocide Convention by supporting paramilitary forces in Darfur. The UAE argued that the case should be dismissed, and the court agreed.
The ICJ rejected Sudan’s request for emergency measures and ordered the case to be removed from its docket. The court stated that, due to the lack of jurisdiction, it was “precluded by its statute from taking any position on the merits of the claims made by Sudan.”
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The UAE welcomed the decision as a legal victory. Reem Ketait, a deputy assistant minister at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the ruling was a “clear and decisive affirmation of the fact that this case was utterly baseless” and that it “confirms that this case should never have been brought.” She added that the UAE bears no responsibility for the conflict in Sudan and that the atrocities were committed by the warring parties.
By a vote of 14-to-two, the court rejected Sudan’s request for emergency measures to prevent genocidal acts against the Masalit tribe, which has been the target of ethnic-based attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militias.
Sudan accuses the UAE of arming the RSF, which has been fighting the Sudanese army in a two-year civil war. The UAE denies the accusations, although some UN experts and US lawmakers have found them credible, citing reports by human rights organizations on the supply of weapons.
A recent report by a UN panel of experts published in April did not mention the UAE, except to note its involvement in peace talks in Sudan.
The ICJ is the UN’s highest court for resolving disputes between states and addressing violations of international treaties. Both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention.
