Sudan Boycots Crime Prevention Conference in the UAE, Citing Legal and Ethical Justifications

Khartoum – Sudanhorizon

Sudan has boycotted the United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in the United Arab Emirates, expressing its strong objection to the UAE hosting this international event.

Sudan’s Prosecutor General, Intisar Ahmed Abdel-Aal, delivered a recorded address during the 15th Congress held in Abu Dhabi. According to the Public Prosecution’s media office, the speech outlined Sudan’s position regarding the crimes against humanity the country has endured, as well as national efforts to combat crime and strengthen criminal justice.

The Prosecutor General explained that Sudan had been subjected to attacks by an armed militia, reaffirming the Sudanese government’s stance that the UAE provided direct support to that militia. This support, she noted, contributed to prolonging the war and the accompanying violations of international law and international humanitarian law. In this context, she reiterated Sudan’s objection to the UAE hosting this international forum dedicated to crime prevention and criminal justice, emphasizing that this position is based on legal, principled, and ethical considerations regarding the need for host nations to align with the forum’s founding objectives and principles—specifically upholding the rule of law and respecting the norms of international law, international humanitarian law, and the UN Charter. She further emphasized that Sudan does not frame this issue as a political dispute, but rather as a matter directly linked to the principles of international criminal justice and the international community’s responsibility to uphold the rule of law and hold perpetrators of crimes and violations accountable.

Furthermore, the Public Prosecutor outlined the role played by Sudan’s law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in combating crime and organized crime, despite the exceptional circumstances and challenges resulting from the war.
She noted that the Public Prosecution has continued to develop its specialized infrastructure to address complex and emerging crimes by establishing and activating specialized prosecution units dedicated to combating money laundering, terrorist financing, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, organized crime, and cybercrime, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in tackling these issues.

In her concluding remarks, the Public Prosecutor reaffirmed Sudan’s commitment to international cooperation in crime prevention and criminal justice, the strengthening of the rule of law, and the fight against transnational organized crime, all in the interest of ensuring the security and stability of peoples and upholding the rights of victims.

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