A coalition of rights groups has requested that the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate the role of high-level officials from the United Arab Emirates and Sudan’s neighbouring countries in allegedly aiding and abetting atrocity crimes in Darfur.
The submission was filed on Monday by the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR) and a broad coalition of legal, investigative and civil society organisations.
It highlights foreign support for both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), alleging that foreign actors enabled atrocities by the two sides of the conflict by supplying the perpetrators with arms, mercenaries, equipment, logistical support and financing.
It urged prosecutors to investigate the criminal responsibility of foreign actors under Articles 25(3)(c) and 25(3)(d) of the Rome Statute, provisions covering those who aid, abet or knowingly contribute to crimes committed by a group acting with a common purpose.
The submission names the UAE and other regional supporters of the RSF, including officials and intermediaries from Libya, Ethiopia, Chad, Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda. The coalition has not disclosed the identities of the officials named in the filing.
