Dirar Ahmed Dirar, head of the Eastern Sudan Parties and Armed Movements Alliance, at his office in Port Sudan, Sudan.Photographer: Eduardo Soteras/Bloomberg via Getty Images
KHARTOUM (EPICSTORIAN) — Sudan has initiated legal proceedings against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention by supplying weapons and support to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The case centers on allegations that the UAE’s involvement enabled ethnic-based atrocities against the non-Arab Masalit community in West Darfur during 2023. The United States officially recognized those attacks as genocide in January.
The ICJ, the United Nations’ highest court for disputes between states, confirmed the filing and outlined Sudan’s claims.
According to the application, the RSF carried out “genocide, murder, theft of property, rape, forcible displacement, trespassing, vandalism of public properties, and violations of human rights,” all of which Sudan argues were made possible through direct support from the UAE.
A UAE official dismissed the accusations, describing the case as a “publicity stunt” meant to divert attention from alleged crimes committed by Sudan’s armed forces. “The UAE is aware of the recent application by the Sudanese Armed Force’s representative to the International Court of Justice, which is nothing more than a cynical attempt to shift blame,” the official said in a statement.
The UAE maintains that it has consistently pushed for a ceasefire and remains committed to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
Conflict between the Sudanese military and the RSF has raged since April 2023, following a power struggle over the integration of armed forces. Fighting has spread across the country, leaving widespread destruction, worsening food shortages, and drawing in foreign interests.
Reports from West Darfur indicate that Masalit men and boys were systematically targeted, while women and young girls were subjected to sexual violence. Survivors described waves of attacks, which prompted international condemnation.
Both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, giving the ICJ jurisdiction over the case. Sudan is requesting emergency measures to halt further support to the RSF and to prevent ongoing violence.
The court is expected to hold hearings on these urgent requests in the coming weeks, though a final ruling could take years.
The RSF and its allied factions are working toward forming a parallel government in opposition to the military-backed administration based in Port Sudan. Neighboring countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, have rejected this move.
The war continues to escalate, leaving millions displaced and humanitarian conditions worsening by the day. Sudan’s case at the World Court adds another dimension to the conflict, placing international legal scrutiny on alleged foreign involvement in the country’s civil war.
