The United Nations' highest court has dismissed a case by Sudan accusing the United Arab Emirates of violating the Genocide Convention by allegedly arming and financing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's ongoing civil war.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced 12.6 million according to the UN, and caused famine across large parts of the country.
The World Food Programme says that nearly 25 million people — half of Sudan's population — are facing extreme hunger.
Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that they lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
Although both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, the UAE has a caveat in the section that grants jurisdiction to the ICJ, effectively shielding it from proceedings under that clause.
Sudan had petitioned the court in March for emergency orders — known as provisional measures — calling on the UAE to prevent acts of violence and other crimes allegedly targeting the Masalit ethnic group.
The UAE strongly rejected the allegations and challenged the admissibility of the case, branding the move a political manoeuvre.
"This decision is a clear and decisive affirmation of the fact that this case was utterly baseless. The Court's finding that it is without jurisdiction confirms that this case should never have been brought," said Reem Ketait, a senior official with the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The facts speak for themselves: the UAE bears no responsibility for the conflict in Sudan. On the contrary, the atrocities committed by the warring parties are well-documented."
Legal experts had predicted the case would be thrown out due to the UAE's reservation, which limits the court's authority over disputes under the Genocide Convention.
Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal internal conflict since April 2023, when tensions between the army and the paramilitary RSF erupted into full-scale warfare.
Fighting started in the capital Khartoum and spread across the country, with at least 20,000 people killed, though the real number is likely much higher.
Both sides have been accused of widespread abuses against civilians.
The UAE, a US ally, has been repeatedly accused of supplying arms to the RSF, though it continues to deny any involvement.
