Sudan vows to fight on after ICJ dismisses genocide case against Emirates

Sudan has vowed “to knock on every judicial door,” after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Monday dismissed the case brought by the Sudanese government, accusing the UAE of violating the Genocide Convention by supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF militia stands accused of carrying out mass atrocities against the Masalit people in West Darfur between April and November 2023. The UAE has condemned the suit as “baseless”, while the RSF and its allies have welcomed the decision and “apologised” to the UAE for the suit. International response has been critical. The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights called the decision “a travesty”.

In a vote of 14-2, the court said yesterday that it can not rule on the case requesting emergency measures that Sudan filed on March 6, as it lacks the jurisdiction to do so. While the UAE has welcomed the decision, Sudan says it “will knock on every door that allows it to take revenge on those who committed crimes against the Sudanese people”.

Sudan argued before the court that the UAE is violating the Genocide Convention by supporting paramilitary forces in Darfur, but the UAE said the case should be thrown out and removed from its docket.

In its preliminary summation, the court says it “is precluded by its statute from taking any position on the merits of the claims made by Sudan”.

Emirates: ‘Legal victory’

The UAE hailed yesterday’s ruling as a legal victory. Reem Ketait, deputy assistant minister for political affairs at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement via the official Emirates News Agency-WAM: “This decision is a clear and decisive affirmation of the fact that this case was utterly baseless. The court’s finding that it is without jurisdiction confirms that this case should never have been brought.

“The facts speak for themselves: the UAE bears no responsibility for the conflict in Sudan. On the contrary, the atrocities committed by the warring parties are well-documented.”

Ketait asserts that “this outcome reaffirms what has long been clear: the SAF’s case is unfounded and lacks any basis. The UAE has consistently rejected SAF’s fabrications, which serve as a transparent attempt to divert attention from their own actions and the ongoing atrocities in Sudan.

“The decision is a clear and decisive affirmation of the fact that this case was utterly baseless. Quite simply, today’s decision represents a resounding rejection of SAF’s attempt to instrumentalise the court for its campaign of misinformation and to distract from its own responsibility.”

‘Sudanese government will knock on every door’

Sudan’s Minister of Information Khaled El Aissar said that Sudan’s case against the UAE will not stop at the International Court of Justice. In a statement seen by Radio Dabanga, El Aissar says: “The Sudanese government will knock on every door that allows it to take revenge on those who committed crimes against the Sudanese people.” He asserts that the case before the ICJ was dismissed for procedural reasons, based on Article 9, not for fundamental reasons.

“There are other international courts that accept such lawsuits, try criminals, do justice to peoples, punish governments that threaten the stability of countries and kill innocent people, and protect justice as it should protect,” El Aissar says.

‘A travesty – to be silent now is to be complicit’

In a statement via its website, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR) said that the ICJ decision is “another example of international institutions folding under UAE power”.

In it’s ststement, the RWCHR termed the ICJ decision a travesty. “Sudanese civilians face ongoing atrocities, including a genocide in North Darfur, fueled by the UAE and other foreign backers—as RWCHR has long warned. The ICJ deferred to the UAE’s reservation to Article IX of the Genocide Convention, allowing the UAE to evade judicial scrutiny for breaches of the Genocide Convention by precluding ICJ jurisdiction. If states can pledge to prevent genocide while shielding themselves from legal scrutiny, that promise is hollow. To be silent now is to be complicit.”

RSF and allies welcome decision

The coalition RSF and allied armed movements (which also includes the Sudan Liberation Movement faction of Abdelaziz El Hilu) has welcomed the ICJ decision in a statement seen by Radio Dabanga. The coalition termed the decision “a victory for international justice that confirms the international community’s rejection of attempts to exploit international justice for narrow political gains by illegitimate authorities,” proffering that the lawsuit was” an absurd political move that reflects the loss of this moral and political compass”.

The statement stressed: “the Port Sudan coup authority lacks any legal or political legitimacy that qualifies it to file complaints or represent Sudan in international forums… it is not mandated by the people of the Sudan.

“The lawsuit filed against the UAE as a political tool behind which the ‘Islamist’ movement and the forces of political Islam in the region stand. The lawsuit aims to “disrupt the positive and balanced role that the UAE has been playing in supporting peace and stability in Sudan and the region.”

The alliance ‘apologised’ to the UAE, underscoring that “the lawsuit does not represent the Sudanese people”.

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This article was updated on 06/04/2025 to reflect the comments of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR).