Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates of aiding genocide in the country’s Darfur region by allegedly supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in a high-stakes hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Sudan’s acting Justice Minister, Muawia Osman, told the court that the UAE has breached the 1948 Genocide Convention by arming and funding the RSF, which is accused of targeting the Masalit ethnic group during the country’s ongoing civil war. Sudan has urged the court to impose emergency orders to halt further violence and compel the UAE to cease all support to the RSF.

The UAE has categorically denied the allegations, with Foreign Ministry official Reem Ketait calling the case “baseless” and a “PR stunt” meant to divert attention from the Sudanese Armed Forces’ own atrocities. Legal experts note that the UAE’s reservations to certain provisions in the genocide convention could serve as a procedural hurdle, potentially preventing the case from proceeding. Nonetheless, Sudan insists there is credible evidence of UAE-backed arms transfers to the RSF, with flights traced through Chad’s Amdjarass airport. Conflict Observatory, a US-funded monitoring group, has linked these flights to UAE activity under the guise of humanitarian support.

Since April 2023, the civil war between Sudan’s military and the RSF has left over 24,000 people dead and displaced more than 14 million, with at least 3.2 million fleeing to neighboring countries. Despite both sides being accused of war crimes, Sudan’s recent legal move represents a rare international challenge aimed at foreign involvement in its internal conflict. The US has already sanctioned RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo and several RSF-linked companies in the UAE, further intensifying scrutiny on the Gulf nation’s alleged role in fueling the violence.