The court's ruling read: "We reject the request submitted by Sudan on March 5 against the UAE."
The UAE has reservations regarding Article 9 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which stipulates that the court has jurisdiction to hear "disputes relating to the interpretation, application or implementation of the Convention."
During the April 10 session, the UAE mission argued before the court that there was no basis for the court's jurisdiction in the case, considering the UAE's reservation a "legitimate exercise of national sovereignty."
The court stated that "the UAE's reservation to Article 9 of the Genocide Convention does not affect the course of the case." Article 9 of the Genocide Convention authorizes the International Court of Justice to resolve disputes between states.
For her part, Reem Keteit, Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and UAE Representative, stated in a statement before the court that the lawsuit filed by the Sudanese Armed Forces before the International Court of Justice lacks legal or factual basis, according to the Emirates News Agency.
She explained that "the UAE is not a party to the armed conflict in Sudan, nor does it provide any support to any party, which renders the allegations against it baseless."
Last March, Sudan filed a request to initiate proceedings against the UAE before the court in a dispute over "alleged violations by the UAE of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide."
Sudan requested the court "issue provisional measures requiring the UAE to take steps to prevent the commission of any acts that may amount to the crime of genocide against the Masalit community in Darfur (west), in addition to refraining from providing any support or complicity with irregular armed groups."
On April 10, the International Court of Justice began deliberations in the case. During the hearing, Sudanese Justice Minister Moawia Osman stated that "the UAE's continued major and logistical support to the Rapid Support Forces militia is the cause of genocide, including killing, rape, forced displacement, looting, and destruction of public property," according to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA).
Meanwhile, the UAE expressed its categorical rejection of what it described as "false allegations made by the Sudanese Armed Forces during a hearing before the International Court of Justice today, Thursday, in The Hague."
"The Sudanese Armed Forces failed to provide any credible evidence to substantiate their claims, demonstrating that the case is weak and lacks legitimacy or legal basis, and does not meet any of the standards of judicial proof," the official UAE news agency WAM reported, noting that Abu Dhabi "responded decisively to these allegations during the session, explaining that the case before the International Court of Justice has no factual basis."
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, signed in 1948, is the first human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and signifies the international community's commitment to ensuring that the atrocities of genocide are not repeated.
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been waging a war that has left more than 20,000 dead and approximately 15 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations and local authorities. Research by American universities estimates the death toll at approximately 130,000.