Sudan brings UAE to the ICJ over alleged genocide support
Sudan accused the United Arab Emirates of supporting genocide during a hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
During Thursday's hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Sudan accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of complicity in genocide. Sudan alleges that the UAE supports the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been at war with the Sudanese government for two years and are accused of committing genocide against the country's non-Arab residents.
Sudan's accusations against UAE
Muawia Osman, Sudan's acting minister of justice, stated during the hearing that the genocide of the Black Masalit ethnic group in Darfur by RSF militias "would not be possible without the support of the United Arab Emirates."
In January, the United States imposed sanctions on RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo for genocide crimes in Darfur, which was also confirmed by an independent investigation by the Canadian non-governmental organization Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.
Sudan has appealed to the ICJ to order the UAE to withdraw support for the RSF and pay "full compensation" to the government and war victims. The UAE denied the accusations, and Reem Ketait from the foreign ministry described them as "misleading" and "pure fabrication."
Reports by the UN and Amnesty International
UN reports suggest that the UAE provided military equipment to the RSF through Chad, worsening relations between Sudan and Chad. The hearing in The Hague coincided with the publication of a report by Amnesty International, accusing the RSF of sexual violence, including forcing women into sexual slavery. The report "They Raped Us All" documents rapes of 36 women and girls in four provinces of Sudan from the start of the war until October 2024.
The civil war between Sudan's army and the RSF has been ongoing since April 2023. According to the UN and local authorities, more than 20,000 people have died, and 15 million have been displaced. Research by American scientists suggests that the death toll may reach 130,000. Both sides of the conflict have been accused of war crimes by the UN, and sanctions have been imposed on both the RSF and government troops.
