Sudan has filed a lawsuit against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of being “complicit in genocide” against the non-Arab Masalit people in West Darfur through its “extensive financial, political, and military support” for the rebel militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to an announcement by the ICJ on Thursday, Sudan initiated proceedings against the UAE for alleged violations of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, due to its ties with the RSF and allied militias that are allegedly committing acts of “genocide” against the Masalit in Sudan, particularly in West Darfur.

In its complaint, Sudan based its accusations on the “acts perpetrated” by these militias, including the RSF, which it claims involve crimes such as “genocide, murder, looting, rape, forced displacement, invasion, vandalism of public property, and human rights violations.”

All these acts, Sudan argues, have been “perpetrated and facilitated through the direct support provided to the RSF rebel militia and other related militia groups by the United Arab Emirates.” The lawsuit also refers to “acts adopted, supported, and executed” by the UAE against the Masalit people in Sudan since at least 2023.

“Emirates is complicit in genocide against the Masalit people through its leadership and provision of extensive financial, political, and military support to the RSF rebel militia,” Sudan stated in its complaint, which is based on the Genocide Convention, signed by both countries.

While the ICJ deliberates on the case and until a final ruling is issued, Sudan has requested the judges to impose precautionary measures against Abu Dhabi, urging it to “take all measures within its power” to prevent the commission of any acts that constitute genocide, such as the killing of group members.

“Emirates must ensure that any irregular armed unit it directs or supports, as well as any organization or person under its control, direction, or influence, does not commit any of the aforementioned acts, nor conspire, directly and publicly incite, attempt to commit genocide, or be complicit in genocide,” Sudan requested.

In recent decades, the Masalit, a non-Arab ethnic group, have been victims of severe conflicts in Darfur, particularly within the context of Sudan’s civil war and clashes between Arab and non-Arab groups in the region. They have suffered attacks by Arab militias and Sudanese government forces, as well as by the RSF.

The situation has worsened in recent years, leading to more massacres, forced displacements, and systematic attacks.

The conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, due to disagreements between the army and paramilitary forces over the inclusion of the latter in the post-2021 coup power structure. That coup ended Sudan’s brief attempt at democratization following the 2019 ousting of longtime dictator Omar Al-Bashir.

The army faction is led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, while the paramilitaries—an evolution of the Arab Janjaweed militias armed two decades ago in Darfur to counter the region’s insurgency—are currently commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti.”

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