The UN’s Top Court Dismisses Sudan’s Genocide Case Alleging the Emiratis Funded RSF Rebels

05/05/2025

The top United Nations court dismissed a case brought by Sudan accusing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of breaching the genocide convention by arming and funding the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the deadly Sudanese civil war. 

Judges found that the International Court of Justice lacked the authority to continue the proceedings. While both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 genocide convention, the United Arab Emirates has a carveout to the part of the treaty that gives The Hague-based court jurisdiction. 

“The violent conflict has a devastating effect, resulting in untold loss of life and suffering, in particular in West Darfur. The scope of the case before the court is, however, necessarily circumscribed by the basis of jurisdiction invoked in the application,” Yuji Iwasawa, the court’s president said, reading out the decision. 

Both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 genocide convention. The UAE, however, has a caveat to part of the treaty which legal experts said would make it unlikely that the case would proceed. 

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