Sudan has filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the United Arab Emirates of violating the Genocide Convention by allegedly funding and arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s ongoing conflict. The case, submitted on Wednesday, alleges that the UAE provided military, financial, and political support to RSF, facilitating crimes including genocide, murder, rape, theft, and forced displacement, particularly targeting the Masalit ethnic group, reported the Al Jazeera.
The ICJ acknowledged Sudan’s filing and stated that the complaint highlights serious human rights violations and war crimes committed by RSF and allied militias. Sudan has also requested provisional measures to prevent further atrocities and protect civilians. The UAE has yet to respond to the allegations.
Since the war erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s military and RSF, over 24,000 people have been killed, and more than 14 million have been displaced. The conflict has intensified in recent months, with RSF and its allies forming a parallel government amid Sudanese military advancements.
Reports from Conflict Observatory, a U.S. State Department-funded organization monitoring Sudan, have linked UAE arms transfers to RSF through Chad’s Aéroport International Maréchal Idriss Deby. The UAE, a key U.S. ally, has consistently denied these claims despite mounting evidence, including recent U.S. sanctions against RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo and RSF-linked companies operating in the UAE.
The case recalls the 2003 Darfur crisis, where Janjaweed militias, precursors to RSF, were responsible for mass killings and displacement. The ICJ’s rulings, while legally binding, may take years to reach, leaving Sudan’s war-torn population waiting for justice.
