The United Arab Emirates has expressed strong disapproval of Sudan’s decision to file a case against it at the International Court of Justice, describing the action as “a cynical publicity stunt” and asserting its intention to seek the “immediate dismissal” of the case.
Sudan has accused the UAE of breaching the genocide convention by allegedly supplying arms and financial support to the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group involved in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The UAE has rejected these allegations, labeling them as an attempt to gain attention, and plans to formally request the case’s dismissal.
Sudan’s complaint, submitted to the court on Wednesday, claims that the Rapid Support Forces and their allied militias have perpetrated acts such as “genocide, murder, theft, rape, forced displacement, trespassing, vandalism, and human rights violations” against the Masalit community.
In its response, the UAE characterized the legal filing as a “cynical publicity stunt,” suggesting that it aims to divert attention from the Sudanese Armed Forces’ role in the ongoing atrocities affecting the country and its people.
Both the RSF and the Sudanese military have been accused of committing various abuses during the conflict.
The UAE’s statement highlighted that Sudan’s allegations “lack any legal or factual basis” and are simply an effort to distract from the dire circumstances in Sudan.
The UAE plans to pursue the swift dismissal of what it deems a baseless claim, respecting the International Court of Justice’s position as the principal judicial authority of the UN.
Sudan argues that the UAE has been “complicit in the genocide against the Masalit” by providing significant financial, political, and military support to the RSF militia, as stated in the court documents.
Sudan has urged the court to impose urgent provisional measures against the UAE, calling for all necessary actions to halt the killings and other crimes directed at the Masalit community.
Both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 genocide convention.
The conflict in Sudan began in mid-April 2023, triggered by rising tensions between military and paramilitary forces in Khartoum, which subsequently spread to other regions.
The war has led to over 24,000 deaths and displaced more than 14 million individuals, roughly 30% of the population, as reported by the United Nations.
Approximately 3.2 million Sudanese have sought refuge in neighboring countries. The case brought before the international court was announced shortly after the Rapid Support Forces and its allies established a charter for a parallel government, following recent military successes by Sudan’s army against rival factions.
The Conflict Observatory, supported by the U.S. State Department and monitoring the situation in Sudan, has reported the identification of aircraft allegedly transporting arms from the UAE to the RSF.
These flights reportedly transited through Aéroport International Maréchal Idriss Deby in Amdjarass, Chad, which the UAE claims were meant for a local hospital.
In January, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa, known as Hemedti, along with seven RSF-affiliated companies in the UAE, including one linked to gold smuggling from Sudan.
This action followed the U.S. designation of the RSF as committing genocide.
The UAE, a U.S. ally and a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, has faced ongoing allegations of supplying arms to the RSF, which it has consistently denied, despite evidence to the contrary.
The UAE has expressed its call for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.
