The UK has declined to join the US in officially declaring genocide in Sudan, despite widespread condemnation of the violence there. Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds stated that the UK Government’s position would be guided by the determination of the International Criminal Court (ICC), rather than unilateral declarations.
Sudan has been embroiled in conflict since April 2023, when tensions between rival factions erupted into open fighting. Earlier this month, the US accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Force (RSF) and its proxies of committing genocide and imposed sanctions on their leaders. In response, Dodds reiterated the UK’s stance that determining whether genocide has occurred is a judicial matter. “It is for courts to decide whether genocide has occurred,” she said in the House of Commons, condemning the violence but maintaining that the UK would await the ICC’s ruling.
The UK government’s refusal to label the situation as genocide has sparked further debate. Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel expressed concern that Sudan was heading toward a “man-made catastrophe” and pressed the government on whether it would impose further sanctions, similar to the US. Dodds responded by confirming that sanctions are under review but declined to comment on future measures.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller asked for a timeline on when the UK would decide on the genocide question, but Dodds emphasized that the process must be thorough and based on expert legal opinions. Despite the UK’s stance on the term genocide, Dodds agreed that more international pressure was needed to deter war crimes and ensure humanitarian aid access to those affected in Sudan.
