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Uganda distances itself from Ugandan judge's ICJ vote on Gaza

Saturday, 27 January 2024 10:59 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 27 January 2024 10:59 AM ]

Justice Julia Sebutinde is a Ugandan judge serving her second term at the ICJ. (Photo by Academy for Cultural Diplomacy)

The Ugandan government has disassociated itself from the ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s Ugandan judge Julia Sebutinde regarding Israel's genocide case brought by South Africa.

The ambassador and permanent representative of Uganda to the United Nations, Adonia Ayebare, criticized Sebutinde saying she does not represent Uganda as he reiterated Ugandan support for Palestine.

“Justice Sebutinde ruling at the International Court of Justice does not represent the Government of Uganda’s position on the situation in Palestine,” Ayebare said on X, formerly Twitter.

“She has previously voted against Uganda’s case on DRC. Uganda’s support for the plight of the Palestinian people has been expressed through Uganda ‘s voting pattern at the United Nations,” he added.

Justice Sebutinde ruling at the International Court of Justice does not represent the Government of Uganda’s position on the situation in Palestine. She has previously voted against Uganda’s case on DRC. Uganda’s support for the plight of the Palestinian people has been expressed…
— Adonia Ayebare (@adoniaayebare) January 26, 2024

The ICJ on Friday directed Israel to take all necessary measures to avoid casualties, devastation, and any acts of genocide during its military operation in Gaza. However, it refrained from mandating a ceasefire.

While the majority of the ICJ bench approved emergency measures, Sebutinde, who is the first female African ICJ judge, voted against all court-ordered measures, including the requirement for Israel to submit a report within a month on its efforts to prevent genocide, as well as the obligation for Israel to ensure basic services for the people of Gaza.

“In my respectful dissenting opinion the dispute between Israel and the people of Palestine is essentially and historically a political one,” Sebutinde said. “It is not a legal dispute susceptible to judicial settlement by the Court,” she added.

According to experts, Sebutinde failed to conduct a thorough assessment of the situation.

Last October, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said the Gaza conflict was "regrettable" and suggested a Palestinian state as a solution.

In 2022, the ICJ found the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) guilty of working with rebels in the 1998–2003 Congo war, despite its claims that the Congo conflict was an "international war" with more than eight armies from different countries.

During the ruling, Sebutinde was present as a panel judge and voted "against" Uganda which was ordered to pay Congo $325 million in reparation after it lost the case.

Previously, Sebutinde was a judge of the Special Court for Sierra Leone before she was elected to the ICJ.

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