Myanmar aimed to eliminate the Rohingya people with its “genocidal policies,” according to Dawda Jallow, the foreign minister of The Gambia, speaking at the UN’s highest court. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently hearing a significant case that The Gambia, a West African nation with a Muslim majority, filed in 2019. The Gambia accuses Myanmar of intentionally trying to wipe out the minority Muslim Rohingya population. Myanmar has denied these claims in the past. Jallow stated that The Gambia had examined “credible reports of the most brutal and vicious violations” inflicted upon this vulnerable group. In 2017, thousands of Rohingya were killed, and over 700,000 escaped to neighboring Bangladesh during a military crackdown in Myanmar. On Monday, Jallow told the court that the Rohingya had faced many years of severe persecution and degrading propaganda, which led to the military assault and “ongoing genocidal policies aimed at erasing their existence in Myanmar.” A harsh report released by the UN in 2018 called for investigations into top military leaders in Myanmar for genocide in Rakhine state and other crimes against humanity. Myanmar dismissed the report, stating that its actions were directed at militant threats. The country will have a chance to reply to The Gambia’s claims during the ICJ hearings, which are expected to continue until the end of the month. The court has also scheduled three days to hear from witnesses, including Rohingya survivors, although these sessions will not be open to the public or media.
Popular News
