Sudan has filed a case against the UAE at the ICJ for allegedly violating the Genocide Convention by supporting the RSF in ethnic attacks on the Masalit tribe. The UAE seeks dismissal of the case, calling it unfounded, while Sudan claims genocide has occurred. The ICJ is set to hear emergency measures, but a final ruling will take years, amidst ongoing regional conflicts.
On Thursday, Sudan initiated proceedings against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention by arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UAE intends to seek the case’s dismissal, asserting it lacks legal or factual foundation. The allegations are linked to ethnic-based assaults by the RSF and Arab militias targeting the non-Arab Masalit tribe in West Darfur during 2023, classified as genocide by the United States earlier this year.
The Sudanese foreign ministry has not yet provided comments regarding this case. Sudanese officials have persistently accused the UAE of bolstering the RSF, the government’s adversaries in an ongoing civil conflict. These accusations are denied by the UAE but have been substantiated by U.N. experts and U.S. lawmakers. The Sudanese application to the ICJ alleges numerous crimes, including genocide, murder, theft, and human rights violations, purportedly facilitated by UAE support to the RSF.
An official from the UAE described Sudan’s legal action as a “cynical publicity stunt” aimed at detracting from the apparent complicity of Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the ongoing atrocities. The UAE claims it is committed to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and has consistently advocated for an immediate ceasefire. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted in April 2023 and has led to widespread devastation, increasing famine, and disease.
The ICJ is the primary judicial body addressing international disputes and treaty violations, and both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention. Sudan is requesting the court to impose urgent measures to compel the UAE to prevent further genocidal actions. Although an initial hearing on these emergency measures is expected soon, a final ruling could take years to be rendered, determining if genocide has occurred in Darfur. As the RSF and supporting political factions pursue the establishment of a parallel government in Port Sudan, they face rejection from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
The initiation of legal action by Sudan against the UAE at the ICJ underscores the complex humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan amid accusations of genocide and ethnic violence. As Sudan seeks immediate emergency measures from the ICJ, the case is emblematic of the broader regional tensions and international implications tied to the conflict, which has drawn in various foreign powers and highlighted the need for urgent humanitarian interventions. The outcome may evolve slowly, with the potential of decades before concrete legal resolutions are established.
Original Source: www.cnn.com
