In a significant legal decision, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has dismissed Sudan's case alleging that the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) is complicit in genocide amid Sudan's ongoing civil conflict. On Monday, the court stated that it "manifestly lacks jurisdiction" in this matter, opting not to rule on the serious allegations raised by Sudan.
The decision was made by a 14-2 vote, which denied Sudan’s request for provisional emergency measures aimed at the U.A.E. Furthermore, a 9-7 vote resulted in the official removal of Sudan's case from the court's agenda. Notably, both nations are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention; however, the U.A.E. chose to opt-out of a crucial clause in 2005 allowing for inter-state lawsuits at the ICJ.
Sudan had approached the court in March, accusing the U.A.E. of violating the Genocide Convention through its support for the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.), a powerful paramilitary group engaged in violent clashes with the Sudanese military. During the initial hearings held the previous month, Sudan urged the ICJ to issue immediate orders compelling the U.A.E. to cease actions that could potentially lead to further genocide against the Masalit ethnic group in the vulnerable western region of Darfur.
In response to these claims, the Emirati government firmly rejected Sudan's allegations, asserting that the Sudanese government did not successfully provide credible evidence of the purported violations and maintained that the court lacked jurisdiction over the matter.
