Sudan Claims UAE Breached Genocide Convention by Funding Rebels

Photo : AFP

Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of breaking international law by supporting the rebel group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during Sudan’s ongoing war. The accusation was made at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top court of the United Nations, which is in charge of handling serious legal cases between countries.

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Sudan wants the court to urgently stop the UAE from helping the RSF and to prevent more violence against a group of people called the Masalit. The Masalit people have been severely harmed in the war.

In the court, Sudan’s Justice Minister, Muawia Osman, said that the RSF, which is mainly made up of Arab fighters from the Darfur region of Sudan, is committing serious crimes with the help of the UAE. Sudan believes that the UAE is arming and funding the RSF, which has made it harder for Sudan to stop the violence.

The UAE strongly denies these claims. A government official from the UAE, Reem Ketait, called Sudan's case "baseless" and said it was just a way to distract from the wrongdoings of Sudan’s own military. Ketait will speak for the UAE in the court later.

Both Sudan and the UAE agreed to the 1948 Genocide Convention, which is a law to stop and punish genocide. But the UAE has some special rules about this treaty, which experts say might stop the case from going ahead. One expert, Melanie O’Brien, who teaches international law, said the court might decide that the case cannot continue because of these special rules.

The war in Sudan began in April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese military and the RSF. Since then, both sides have been accused of committing crimes. The war has caused terrible damage, with more than 24,000 people killed and over 14 million people forced to leave their homes. Many Sudanese have fled to nearby countries for safety.

The UAE has been accused several times of giving weapons to the RSF. A group called the Conflict Observatory, which is supported by the U.S. government, said that they have seen UAE planes delivering arms to the RSF. The UAE says that these flights were meant to help a local hospital in Sudan, not to support the rebels.

In January, the U.S. government placed sanctions on the leader of the RSF, Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa (known as Hemedti), and several companies linked to the RSF in the UAE. The U.S. government has also said that the RSF is responsible for committing genocide.

The war in Sudan continues to be deadly, and its effects are still being felt by millions of people. The Sudanese military has recently gained back control of Khartoum, the capital, and even recaptured the city’s airport from the RSF.