Sudan Alleges UAE Support for Genocide at UN Court
Emirates accused of aiding RSF as Sudan seeks urgent UN court action
Sudan Takes UAE to UN Court Over Genocide Allegations in Darfur
The Hague, April 11 – Sudan has taken the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention by allegedly supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group blamed for atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region.
Speaking at the UN’s top court, Sudan’s acting Justice Minister Muawia Osman claimed that the UAE has armed and financed the RSF, enabling a campaign of violence against the Masalit ethnic group during the country’s ongoing civil war. Sudan has asked the court to issue emergency measures, including an order instructing the UAE to help stop the killings and other crimes in Darfur.
“This genocide is being carried out by the RSF, with the complicity and support of the UAE,” Osman told judges in The Hague.
The UAE strongly denied the accusations, calling the case politically motivated and without merit. Reem Ketait, a senior official from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described Sudan’s move as a “cynical PR stunt” aimed at deflecting from its own military’s actions.
Both nations are parties to the 1948 Genocide Convention, but legal experts note that the UAE has a reservation on part of the treaty. This could prevent the case from moving forward, as the ICJ has previously ruled such reservations permissible.
The Sudanese civil war, which erupted in April 2023, has devastated the nation. More than 24,000 people have been killed, and over 14 million displaced, including 3.2 million who have fled to neighboring countries. Both the Sudanese military and the RSF have faced accusations of human rights abuses.
Despite UAE denials, organizations like Conflict Observatory—backed by the US State Department—have tracked flights allegedly carrying weapons from the UAE to RSF-controlled areas via Chad. The UAE insists these flights were for humanitarian aid, not military support.
Earlier this year, the US imposed sanctions on RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, and several UAE-based RSF-linked firms involved in smuggling Sudanese gold.
As the conflict drags on, Sudanese forces have regained ground in Khartoum, recently reclaiming the city’s international airport. The ICJ is now being asked to intervene in what Sudan calls an urgent effort to halt a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.
