(MENAFN) The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has dismissed Sudan’s case against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which accused the Gulf nation of violating the Genocide Convention by supporting paramilitary forces involved in ethnic violence in Sudan’s Darfur region. The case, filed in March, claimed that the UAE provided arms and funding to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023 and is accused of committing atrocities, particularly against the Masalit ethnic group in West Darfur.

In a ruling on Monday, 14 of the 16 ICJ judges concluded that the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case, pointing to a reservation made by the UAE regarding a key provision of the Genocide Convention that limits the ICJ’s authority over state disputes. The court also rejected Sudan’s request for emergency measures to address the alleged atrocities.

Despite the tragic situation unfolding in Sudan, with tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, the court’s decision emphasized that its jurisdiction was constrained by the legal framework. The UAE government welcomed the ruling, calling it a clear rejection of Sudan’s claims and asserting that the case lacked merit.

Reem Ketait, the UAE's deputy assistant minister for political affairs, stated that the decision confirmed the baselessness of Sudan's accusations and criticized the Sudanese Armed Forces for using the court to spread misinformation and distract from their own role in the conflict. The ongoing war in Sudan has resulted in over 24,000 deaths and widespread displacement, with millions facing severe hunger.

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