Quick thoughts on Sudan's ICJ Genocide application
Sudan has taken the UAE to the ICJ, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention over atrocities committed against the Masalit people in Darfur: https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/...
This case raises big questions: Who is seeking justice? What role does international law play in an ongoing war? How can the ICJ avoid becoming yet another arena for geopolitical contestation? What is their approach when it is ?
Some facts: the case was filed against the UAE, which the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), representing Sudan’s govt, accuses of supporting the Rapid Support Forces. The RSF (descended from the Janjaweed militia and al-Bashir) stands accused of ethnic cleansing, mass sexual violence, and forced displacement. Human Rights Watch and others have documented: https://www.hrw.org/report/202...
But this isn’t just about international law; it’s about power. Since Sudan’s 2019 revolution ousted al-Bashir, the country has been engulfed in a violent counter-revolution, and a brutal sick war between the SAF and RSF played out against civilians. The case isn't about justice and impunity, but rather (it seems to me anyway) between rival military factions and their foreign backers, each vying for dominance in a fractured state. Both sides have bloodied hands.
International law has long promised a rules-based order, but cases like this test its credibility. Gambia v. Myanmar showed that Genocide Convention cases can be powerful tools for accountability... but only when they serve justice rather than political manoeuvring. Will other states intervene under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute to ensure the case is properly argued, or will this become another example of law being wielded as a diplomatic weapon? (Or even heard?!)
The ICJ could set an important precedent for Sudan's civilian population and perhaps for the future of international accountability if this case is dealt with differently. Because if justice is to mean anything, surely it must be applied beyond the interests of states and their shifting alliances... It will be interesting to see how the ICJ responds - both for Sudan's civilian population, and the future of international accountability itself.
https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/...
