Uganda disowns ICJ Judge Julia Sebutinde for voting in favour of Israel. Uganda has officially distanced itself from the recent decision made by Judge Julia Sebutinde at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where she abstained from voting on all six propositions related to allegations of genocide committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza.
The move comes in the wake of a complaint filed by South Africa against Israel on December 29, 2023.
Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Adonia Ayebare, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to make a public statement.
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He asserted that Judge Sebutinde’s ruling does not align with the official stance of the Ugandan government on the situation in Palestine.
Ayebare highlighted Uganda’s consistent support for the Palestinian cause through its voting patterns at the United Nations.
The ICJ, in an interim ruling, validated South Africa’s claim that Israel is committing genocide and issued directives for Israel to cease obstructing aid deliveries and improve the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Notably, Judge Julia Sebutinde was the lone dissenting voice, abstaining from voting against Israel’s emergency orders.
The fallout from Sebutinde’s decision has reverberated globally, prompting criticism and condemnation on various social media platforms. Some users have gone so far as to label Sebutinde an embarrassment to her country and a disgrace to humanity.
The sentiment extends to calls for introspection among Ugandans, with expressions of shame regarding the judge’s vote.
Despite the controversy surrounding Sebutinde’s position, the ICJ’s ruling stands, mandating Israel to take all necessary measures to prevent genocide within the embattled enclave of Gaza.
As Uganda disowns ICJ Judge Julia Sebutinde for voting in favour of Israel, the incident underscores the complex and contentious nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not only at the diplomatic level but also as a topic eliciting strong opinions among citizens, as witnessed on social media.
