Sudan activists rally outside UAE embassy in London as genocide case opens at ICJ

As the International Court of Justice (ICJ) opened its preliminary hearing today into Sudan’s genocide case against the United Arab Emirates, protesters gathered outside the UAE Embassy in London to denounce the Gulf state’s alleged complicity in Sudan’s brutal civil war.

Sudan filed the case at the ICJ on March 6th, accusing the UAE of violating the Genocide Convention by supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which stand accused of carrying out mass atrocities against the Masalit people in West Darfur between April and November 2023.

Outside the embassy in Knightsbridge, activists from London For Sudan, Action For Sudan, and other members of the Sudanese diaspora chanted slogans such as “UAE shame shame, ethnic-cleansing in your name” and “MBZ [UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan] to ICC [International Criminal Court]” while a live stream of the proceedings in The Hague played over speakers.

In contrast to the fervour of the small but passionate demonstration, the embassy itself remained silent.

Most notably, its flag and plaque had been removed, and no staff appeared to be present during the protest. Leaflets prepared by demonstrators to hand to embassy workers lay unused.

One 18-year-old protester from Action For Sudan, who asked to be identified only by the pseudonym Ziyad, said the group was calling out the UAE’s role in Sudan’s war.

“We are against the UAE’s complicity, and we hope the legal case at the ICJ will bring some kind of benefit to us as Sudanese people,” he said.

“We wish for Sudan to be free.”

Rafela, a teacher attending the demonstration, accused the UAE of fuelling the war in Sudan by financing the paramilitary RSF, a claim denied by the UAE.

“The UAE is directly complicit in the war and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan. They are funding the RSF. If that flow of money stopped, the RSF would not be able to continue fighting,” she stated.

She further condemned the UAE’s broader ambitions in Sudan, saying, “This is about securing a foothold in a gold rich country. It is resource extraction. It is colonialism. It is everything that is destabilising Sudan, and it has got to stop.”

The protest highlighted growing anger within the Sudanese diaspora over the UAE’s alleged role in fuelling the ongoing civil war in Sudan, now entering its second year.

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, has resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 522,000 deaths, displaced over 8.8 million people internally, and created more than 3.5 million refugees. This has led to a devastating humanitarian crisis, including widespread famine.

Amid the backdrop of the ICJ hearing, a high-level humanitarian conference in London on Sudan is set to take place at Lancaster House on Monday 15, coinciding with the two-year anniversary of the war, with officials from the UAE reportedly invited to attend.

However, no representatives from Sudan’s de facto government have been invited.

Sudanese officials described the British government’s approach as hypocritical, accusing it of failing to hold responsible actors to account.

Sudan’s foreign minister, Ali Youssef, has written to David Lammy to object to his government’s exclusion from the conference. He also criticised the decision to invite the UAE, Chad and Kenya, describing them as “stakeholders in the war”, according to The Guardian.

ICJ hearing

The ICJ hearing, chaired by President of the ICJ, Judge Iwasawa Yuji, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, centred on Sudan’s request for provisional measures against the UAE.

The UAE has strongly rejected these allegations, describing them as “baseless,” and intends to argue for the case to be dismissed. Reem Ketait, a senior UAE official, told the court, “Since the start of the war, the UAE has not provided any arms or related materiel to either of the warring parties.”

The UAE also contends that the ICJ lacks jurisdiction to hear Sudan’s claims.

Sudan’s acting justice minister, Muawia Osman, refuted the UAE’s stance, declaring, “The genocide against the Masalit is being carried out by the Rapid Support Force, believed to be Arab from Darfur, with the support and complicity of the United Arab Emirates.”

Sudan is seeking emergency measures from the court to prevent further genocidal acts against the Masalit and other ethnic groups targeted by the RSF and allied militias.

The ICJ process can take years, but interim measures can be issued to prevent escalation. The judges are expected to rule on Sudan’s request for emergency preventative orders within the coming weeks.

She further condemned the UAE’s broader ambitions in Sudan, saying, “This is about securing a foothold in a gold rich country. It is resource extraction. It is colonialism. It is everything that is destabilising Sudan, and it has got to stop.”

The protest highlighted growing anger within the Sudanese diaspora over the UAE’s alleged role in fuelling the ongoing civil war in Sudan, now entering its second year.