The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rejected Sudan’s case accusing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of complicity in genocide in Darfur, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
The request for the indication of provisional measures was submitted by Sudan in the case concerning, ‘Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Sudan ‘.
Sudan had accused the UAE of backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), alleging its support amounted to complicity in genocidal acts against the non-Arab Masalit population in West Darfur.
Public hearings on that request were held on April 10.
In the decision, the UN’s top judicial body ruled on Monday by a vote of 14 to two that it could not proceed with the case brought by Sudan and declined to impose any provisional measures, as Sudan had requested.
It was brought under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention).
The Court also removed the case from its general list by a vote of nine to seven.
“Having come to the conclusion that it manifestly lacks jurisdiction, the Court is precluded from taking any position on the merits of the claims made by Sudan,” the ruling stated.
The Court noted that while it could not hear the case, all States remain bound by their obligations under the Genocide Convention.
The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 12.7 million people since April 2023.
