Sudan Accuses UAE of Genocide at ICJ

UAE Rejects Sudan’s Genocide Case at ICJ, Denies Backing RSF in Darfur Conflict

The Hague: Sudan has officially lodged a case against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging that the Gulf nation has violated the Genocide Convention by providing financial and military support to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) amid the ongoing war in Sudan. The case, filed on Wednesday, was confirmed by the ICJ in a statement released on Thursday.

Sudan Accuses UAE of Complicity in War Crimes
Sudan’s lawsuit claims that the UAE’s alleged assistance to the RSF has directly contributed to a series of atrocities committed in the country, particularly against the Masalit people in West Darfur. According to the ICJ statement, the acts cited in the complaint include genocide, mass killings, property theft, rape, forced displacement, trespassing, destruction of public property, and other human rights violations carried out by the RSF and its affiliated militias.

The Sudanese government argues that the UAE has played a key role in enabling these crimes by supplying extensive financial aid, political backing, and military resources to the RSF. Sudan further asserts that the UAE’s actions have intensified the humanitarian crisis in the country and deepened the conflict.

Call for Emergency Measures Against UAE
As part of its legal move, Sudan has also urged the ICJ to impose provisional measures—emergency orders that would require the UAE to take immediate action to prevent further violence. The UAE would be required to stop providing the RSF with any kind of material or logistical support if these sanctions were approved, which would also help stop the continuous attacks on the Masalit community.

The United Arab Emirates has not yet released a statement about the matter or formally responded to Sudan’s allegations. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, has repeatedly denied any involvement in arming or financing the RSF and dismissed similar charges as unfounded.

Sudanese War: A Humanitarian Disaster
Long-standing tensions between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) turned into a full-scale confrontation in April 2023, sparking the start of the Sudanese conflict. After starting in the capital city of Khartoum, the violence swiftly expanded throughout Sudan, wreaking havoc in other areas, notably Darfur.

Since the outbreak of violence, the war has resulted in over 24,000 deaths and displaced more than 14 million people, according to the United Nations.Approximately 30% of Sudan’s population has been forced to flee their homes, with an estimated 3.2 million refugees having entered neighboring countries.

International attention has been drawn to the situation in Darfur, which has historically been a hotbed of ethnic strife. According to humanitarian organizations, the area is once again experiencing widespread atrocities akin to the war crimes carried out in the early 2000s, when the Janjaweed militias—who are now mostly part of the RSF—led bloody campaigns that killed up to 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million others.

International Examination of the Alleged Role of the UAE
International reports imply otherwise, despite the UAE’s constant denials of any funding for the RSF. The RSF has been the target of arms transfers purportedly made possible by the UAE, according to Conflict Observatory, a research organization supported by the US State Department.
The group identified flights believed to have carried UAE military aid to RSF-controlled areas, passing through Aéroport International Maréchal Idriss Déby in Amdjarass, Chad. The UAE, however, claims that these flights were humanitarian missions intended to support a local hospital.
The U.S. Treasury Department placed sanctions on RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti) in January 2024, which increased the level of surveillance. In addition to Hemedti, seven businesses with ties to the RSF that were active in the United Arab Emirates were also sanctioned, one of which was suspected of smuggling gold from Sudan.
Following these actions, the United States formally declared that the RSF was committing genocide in Sudan.

Legal Battle Ahead at the ICJ
Sudan’s case at the ICJ comes just weeks after the RSF and its allies announced the formation of a parallel government, following recent losses to the Sudanese army. This legal struggle could go on for a long time because the ICJ’s decisions take years to complete. But since the court’s rulings are legally binding, the UAE would suffer serious legal and diplomatic repercussions if Sudan’s accusations are accepted.

The world closely monitors the ongoing conflict to see how the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and other international organizations would react to Sudan’s accusations and whether any action will be taken to alleviate the escalating humanitarian situation.