Gambiaj.com – (THE HAGUE, Switzerland) – Rohingya survivors of Myanmar’s 2017 military crackdown said on Friday they expect the United Nations’ highest court to rule that Myanmar committed genocide against their community, following the conclusion of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Judges at the ICJ, also known as the World Court, are expected to take several months to deliver their judgment, with rulings typically issued within six to nine months after hearings conclude.
The case was brought by The Gambia, which accuses Myanmar of violating the Genocide Convention through its military campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine State.
The proceedings are being closely watched well beyond Myanmar, with potential implications for other genocide-related cases before the court, including South Africa’s case against Israel over the war in Gaza.
In its final submissions this week, Gambia’s legal team argued that Myanmar’s conduct during the 2017 operations demonstrated a clear intent to destroy the Rohingya as a group, leaving genocide as the only reasonable legal conclusion.
The lawyers pointed to the scale and pattern of violence, including mass killings, sexual violence, and the systematic destruction of villages.
Myanmar has rejected the accusations, maintaining that its military operations were a legitimate response to attacks by insurgents. It has denied any intent to commit genocide and has challenged the credibility of international investigations into the violence.
At least 730,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh during the 2017 campaign. A subsequent United Nations fact-finding mission concluded that Myanmar’s actions included “genocidal acts,” citing evidence of killings, mass rape, and widespread arson.
Myanmar’s legal team told the court that the UN investigation was biased and failed to meet the high legal threshold required to establish genocide.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of survivors of mass atrocities, Rohingya refugee Yousuf Ali, 52, said he believed the judges would rule in favor of the victims.
“The world has witnessed our suffering for so many years — how we were deported, how our homes were destroyed, and how we were killed,” he said.
Gambia’s Justice Minister, Dawda Jallow, urged the court to dismiss Myanmar’s arguments, saying a ruling affirming genocide would help end what he described as Myanmar’s “cycle of atrocities and impunity,” and mark a significant step toward accountability for crimes committed against the Rohingya.
