Sudan has filed a case against the UAE at the ICJ, accusing it of supporting the RSF in genocidal acts against the Masalit tribe during the ongoing civil war. The UAE intends to dismiss the claims, calling them baseless. Sudan seeks urgent measures from the ICJ to prevent further genocidal actions, while the conflict exacerbates humanitarian crises in the region.
Sudan has initiated legal proceedings against the United Arab Emirates at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for purportedly breaching its responsibilities under the Genocide Convention by allegedly providing arms to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The ICJ confirmed this filing on Thursday. In response, the UAE has expressed intentions to dismiss the case, asserting it lacks both “any legal or factual basis,” according to an Emirati official’s statement to Reuters.
The allegations pertain to severe ethnic attacks executed by the RSF and allied Arab militia against the non-Arab Masalit tribe in West Darfur throughout 2023. The United States labeled these attacks as genocide in January. Although the Sudanese foreign ministry did not provide an immediate comment, Reuters has obtained a copy of Sudan’s application.
Sudanese officials have regularly accused the UAE of backing the RSF, which opposes the Sudanese government amidst a civil conflict that has persisted for nearly two years. While the UAE denies these accusations, they have been deemed credible by UN experts and U.S. lawmakers. Sudan’s filings at the ICJ implicate the RSF in various crimes, stating they have committed “genocide, murder, theft of property, rape, forcible displacement, trespassing, vandalism of public properties and violation of human rights.”
The Sudanese government claims these actions were facilitated by direct support from the UAE to the RSF and its allied militias. An official from the UAE remarked that Sudan’s ICJ application serves merely as a diversion from the Sudanese Armed Forces’ involvement in ongoing atrocities in the country. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted due to a power struggle in April 2023 and has resulted in severe humanitarian crises, with food shortages and disease becoming rampant, threatening the nation’s stability.
As the situation escalated, ethnic violence surged across multiple regions, notably in West Darfur, where reports have emerged of targeted killings of Masalit boys and widespread sexual assaults on young women shortly following the onset of the conflict. The ICJ functions as the UN’s principal judicial body, addressing disputes between nations and transgressions of international treaties. Both Sudan and the UAE are signatories of the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Sudan seeks urgent measures from the ICJ to compel the UAE to take preventive actions against potential genocidal actions. A hearing regarding these emergency measures could be scheduled within weeks; however, a conclusive ruling by the court may require several years before determining if genocide has indeed occurred in Darfur. Meanwhile, the RSF and allied factions are working toward establishing a rival government, rejecting opposition from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
The filing of the genocide case by Sudan against the UAE underscores the ongoing tensions in the region amid the civil war and ethnic violence. With the ICJ involved, Sudan aims for urgent action against the alleged support to RSF, characterized by severe human rights violations. While the UAE maintains its innocence, the conflict poses significant risks to Sudan’s stability and humanitarian conditions, necessitating a careful examination by the international community.
Original Source: www.dawn.com
