Sudan’s government filed a complaint at the International Court of Justice this week accusing the United Arab Emirates of being complicit in genocide by arming and funding a rebel militia in the country’s brutal civil war. The United Arab Emirates quickly called the complaint a “cynical publicity stunt” aimed at diverting attention from the “widespread atrocities” committed by the Sudanese government. The International Court of Justice is the United Nations’ highest court. In this case, the court can claim jurisdiction because both Sudan and the United Arab Emirates have adopted the 1948 Genocide Convention. Sudan is one of the poorest countries on the African continent.
