Top diplomat hails UAE's 'outstanding performance' at ICJ against 'fabricated charges'

A top UAE diplomat hailed UAE's diplomacy and legal team for their "outstanding performance" at the International Court of Justice.

The Emirates faced "fabricated and weak charges aimed at media spectacle", said Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President.

Recommended For You

UAE President honours first Emirati family to donate their 5-year-old child’s organs

Emsteel nine-month revenue gains 10%, eyes sustainable growth

Dubai cuts business bank account opening time to just 5 days

Watch: This drone will deliver your Talabat food orders soon in UAE

DNA test confirms prime suspect in Delhi blast as Dr Umar: Police

 

On Thursday morning, the ICJ started public hearings into the case filed by the Sudanese Armed Forces against the UAE.

Gargash said the "Sudanese military government must realise that the real goal is stability in Sudan, by urgently halting this war." He emphasised the need for Sudan to establish "a political path that preserves the country's unity and the lives of its citizens."

Afra Al Hameli, Director of Strategic Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: "Honoured to be part of the UAE delegation to The Hague, delivering a firm rebuttal at the ICJ to the Sudanese Armed Forces’ unfounded claims and lies. The UAE will always defend the truth, speak for the silenced, and stand with our brothers and sisters in Sudan who deserve a life of peace and dignity."

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Media Council, said: "The UAE's legal team delivered a distinguished performance before the International Court of Justice, affirming the strength of the UAE's position in the face of false allegations by the Sudanese Armed Forces, which seek to divert attention from their responsibility for the ongoing atrocities in Sudan.

"Since the beginning of the crisis, the UAE has been keen to support peaceful solutions in cooperation with the international community. We affirm that the UAE is committed to justice and confronts allegations with arguments and facts, not slogans, and addresses the world in the language of law with confidence and steadfastness."

What were Sudan's accusations?

The Sudanese Armed forces accused the UAE of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention, regarding the attacks launched by the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces and allied factions against the Masalit ethnic group in West Darfur.

In its case, Sudan filed an application for provisional measures under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

What was UAE's response?

The UAE denied any role as a driver of the conflict, and labelled Sudan's allegations as "pure fabrications". Reem Ketait, Deputy Assistant Minister for Political Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the court, accusing Sudan of seeking to “distract attention from their own culpability.”

While the UAE stands in solidarity with the Sudanese people, condemned horrific acts of violence, and called for perpetrators to be held accountable, Sudan is making "false accusations" against the Emirates, she reiterated.

Ketait asserted that the court proceedings are not about the UAE's obligations under the Genocide Convention. She accused Sudan, "one of the warring parties," of misusing the court to "deflect from their own responsibility" for the ongoing conflict.

A central point of the UAE's argument was the lack of jurisdictional basis for the case. Ketait emphasised the UAE's reservation to Article IX of the Genocide Convention, stating it was a "legitimate exercise of State sovereignty." She added that the case filed by Sudan is an attempt to "circumvent state consent," which is a “bedrock of our international legal order.”

She also detailed UAE's aid to Sudan, including over $4 billion in investments, $600 million in assistance, and field hospitals in Chad and South Sudan. Ketait also criticised Sudan for rejecting the UAE's offer to establish a field hospital in Port Sudan.

She stated that the UAE had not provided arms or related material to either warring party since April 2023.

Ketait outlined the UAE's legal team's subsequent presentations, which would focus on the lack of jurisdiction, the rebuttal of Sudan's legal arguments, and the absence of evidence to support its claims.

(With inputs from WAM)