Sudan accuses UAE of genocide complicity against Masalit community

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has confirmed that Sudan has initiated legal proceedings against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over allegations of complicity in genocide against the Masalit, a black African community in West Darfur. This development comes nearly two years into a brutal conflict that has claimed over 150,000 lives, displaced 11 million, and left 26 million in dire hunger.

Sudan holds the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their affiliated militia accountable for a range of heinous acts, including genocide, murder, theft, rape, and forced displacement. The Sudanese government asserts that these atrocities have been enabled by extensive financial, political, and military support from the UAE.

In its application to the ICJ, Sudan has called for immediate provisional measures, urging the UAE to uphold its obligations under the Genocide Convention. This includes preventing further harm to the Masalit community and taking steps to avert conditions that could lead to their destruction.

The UAE has dismissed the allegations as “baseless,” suggesting that the Sudanese government is attempting to divert attention from its own complicity in the ongoing violence. An Emirati official condemned the legal action as a publicity stunt designed to obscure the established involvement of the Sudanese Armed Forces in the widespread atrocities.

A report from the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, released in April 2024, described the RSF and allied militias as committing genocide against the Masalit and other non-Arab groups. This independent investigation concluded that all signatories of the Genocide Convention are legally bound to act against any complicity and take measures to halt the genocide.

The ongoing violence in Sudan has its roots in the 2003 Darfur crisis, which erupted when groups like the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) took up arms against the government, accusing it of oppression. In response, former President Omar al-Bashir recruited Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed, leading to severe reprisals against African ethnic groups in the region.

The United States has previously recognized these actions as genocide, prompting criminal proceedings against al-Bashir in 2009, resulting in an arrest warrant for orchestrating mass killings.

Reports indicate that the RSF continues to employ rape as a weapon of war, with recent UNICEF data revealing 220 cases of child rape since the start of 2024, and the youngest victims being just one year old. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan raises urgent questions about international responsibility and the need for decisive action to prevent further atrocities.