Sudan told the International Court of Justice Thursday that the United Arab Emirates was the "driving force" behind what it called a genocide in Darfur, a charge the UAE said "couldn't be further from the truth".

Khartoum has dragged the UAE before the ICJ, accusing it of complicity in genocide against the Masalit community by backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battling the Sudanese army since 2023.

The UAE denies supporting the rebels and has dismissed Sudan's case as "political theatre" distracting from efforts to end the war that has killed tens of thousands.

As robed lawyers wrestled over legal interpretations of jurisdiction in the panelled hall of the Peace Palace, the human cost of the conflict has continued to mount.

The army and local activists said a paramilitary strike on the El-Fasher city in Darfur on Wednesday killed at least 12 people and wounded 17.

Opening the case at the ICJ,........

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