KAMPALA: Uganda has distanced itself from an opinion written by a Ugandan judge on the International Court of Justice dissenting from the panel’s verdict in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, and said the remarks of the judge do not reflect Uganda’s stance.
Julia Sebutinde was the only judge on ICJ panel to vote against all 6 measures adopted by the court in a ruling asking Israel to take action to stop acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Uganda’s government said in a statement that the position taken by Judge Sebutinde is her own personal opinion, and does not in any way reflect the stance of the government of Uganda. It said that the east African nation supported the position of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on the conflict that was approved at its summit in the Ugandan capital this month.
Uganda Says Judge’s Dissent from ICJ Ruling on Israel Does not Reflect its Stance
That NAM stance contained in a document issued at the end of the summit denounced Israel’s army campaign and killing of civilian population and also called for an immediate truce and unhindered humanitarian access.
The movement was established officially in 1961 by nations opposed to joining either of the two main Cold War-era military and blocs. Many of the nations were newly independent from their colonial powers.
Sebutinde was one of only two judges who issued dissenting judgements while fifteen voted for the emergency steps which covered most of what South Africa had asked for in the case against Israel.
