Judge’s Disagreement With ICJ Ruling on Israel Not Our Position

Uganda has said that the opinion of one judge, Julia Sebutinde on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) disagreeing with the panel’s decision in South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel, does not represent Uganda’s perspective.

Sebutinde was the only judge on the 17-member ICJ panel to vote against all six measures adopted by the court in a ruling ordering Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide as it fights Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

The government said in a statement issued late on Saturday, said “The position taken by Judge Sebutinde is her own individual and independent opinion, and does not in any way reflect the position of the government of the republic of Uganda,”

It added that the African country is in support of the position of the Non-Aligned Movement on the conflict that was adopted at its summit in the Ugandan capital this month.

That NAM position contained in a document issued at the end of the summit condemned Israel’s military campaign and killing of civilians and also called for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access.

The movement was formed officially in 1961 by countries opposed to joining either of the two major Cold War-era military and political blocs. Many of the countries were newly independent from their colonial rulers.