UAE challenges jurisdiction of ICJ in Sudan’s case

At a hearing on Thursday, the United Arab Emirates contested the jurisdiction of the United Nations’ highest court over a genocide claim filed by Sudan. The UAE argued that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had no authority to rule on the case, in which the Gulf country is accused of violating the Genocide Convention by allegedly supporting Sudanese rebel forces. The UAE contended that the allegations were a misuse of the court and insisted that it had no involvement in instigating or exacerbating the conflict in Sudan.

Sudan has called for emergency provisional measures, urging the ICJ to instruct the UAE to take immediate action to prevent further atrocities, including killings targeting the Masalit people in Sudan. In its defense, Reem Ketait, a senior official at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dismissed the accusations, stating that the notion the UAE was fueling the crisis was entirely unfounded. She accused Sudan of using the court as a platform to malign the UAE, framing the case as an unjustified attack rather than a legitimate legal proceeding.

Both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, but the UAE has placed reservations on parts of the treaty, which may prevent the case from progressing. Legal experts have indicated that the court is likely to uphold these reservations, which could render Sudan’s claims inadmissible.

This follows a pattern seen in previous ICJ rulings, where such reservations have been accepted as a barrier to legal action. Meanwhile, the conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, has claimed over 24,000 lives and displaced millions.