The Sudanese Army Avoids Accountability for Its Atrocities by Shifting Blame to The Hague

As international human rights pressure intensifies on the Sudanese army, following its commission of a series of human rights abuses and atrocities across the country, the military leadership leaps forward toward the International Court of Justice in The Hague to make baseless accusations against the United Arab Emirates. 

Observers believe that the Sudanese army's leadership is attempting to divert attention away from the serious international efforts to hold them accountable for documented crimes committed during the two years of conflict, which reached their peak in the early months of this year. 

The Sudanese armed forces have committed war crimes, documented by international organizations, including the United Nations, international human rights groups, and global media. These crimes include the mass killing of civilians, the use of chemical weapons, indiscriminate attacks on densely populated areas, the destruction of critical infrastructure, sexual violence, and child recruitment. 

Numerous sanctions have been imposed on the Sudanese army and its leaders, the most prominent of which was announced by the U.S. Treasury Department in January, targeting army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for committing documented war crimes. According to observers, this confirms that "this group is unqualified to accuse other countries." 

The primary reason for the U.S. sanctions against al-Burhan was his leadership of military operations that included attacks on civilians, such as indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure like schools, markets, and hospitals, as well as blocking humanitarian aid and using food as a weapon of war. 

According to official reports from the U.S. Treasury Department and statements from U.S. officials, it has been confirmed that the Sudanese army used chemical weapons at least twice in remote areas of Sudan during the conflict.

In his case against the United Arab Emirates, observers believe that the Sudanese army is using international forums to promote irrelevant issues to distract from the ongoing war, which has caused unacceptable human suffering, in an effort to reduce international pressure, especially regarding the sanctions imposed on it. 

Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the President of the UAE, described the actions taken by the Sudanese military leadership in the International Court of Justice as "ridiculous," adding that they are "nothing more than a political game and a publicity stunt, an attempt to drag an old friend of Sudan and Africa into a conflict that they themselves have ignited." 

He continued in an article in "The National" newspaper, stating that "the absurd actions taken by the Sudanese armed forces at the United Nations Security Council were similarly based on fabrications, lies, and fantasy."

The Sudanese army’s allegations against the UAE are based on what the military leadership is actually doing on the ground—dragging other international parties into the ongoing conflict in Sudan by offering promises of post-war deals, including military bases and ports in Sudan, in exchange for acquiring deadly weapons to kill Sudanese people, as documented in investigations published by international media. 

The UAE has supported all international and regional efforts aimed at bringing peace to Sudan and finding a political settlement to return the country to a civilian-led government, while the Sudanese army has rejected all these efforts, refusing to attend international conferences held on this matter.

While the UAE has provided over $3.5 billion in aid to Sudan over the past decade, including more than $600 million since the conflict began, the Sudanese army has been directly and internationally known to block the delivery of humanitarian aid. 

Despite international figures confirming that 30 million Sudanese need assistance and that about 600,000 Sudanese are facing famine conditions, the Sudanese army has persisted in using starvation as a weapon of war, directly defying the international community and international laws and norms.