Uganda cuts ties with Judge Julia Sebutinde for favouring Israel at ICJ

Judge Julia Sebutinde gestures during a gathering. — Academy for Cultural Diplomacy

Uganda has broken ties with Judge Julia Sebutinde, who voted against all interim orders issued by a UN court against Israel in relation to a South African lawsuit over the Gaza War.

“Justice Sebutinde ruling at the ICJ (the International Court of Justice) does not represent the Government of Uganda’s position on the situation in Palestine,” Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Adonia Ayebare, wrote on X. “Uganda’s support for the plight of the Palestinian people has been expressed through our voting pattern at the United Nations.”

Charges of genocide against Palestinians led South Africa to take Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on December 29.

The ICJ determined on Friday that South Africa's allegation that Israel is carrying out genocide is credible. In an interim decision, the court urged Israel to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza and cease impeding assistance delivery, according to Quds News Network.

Sebutinde voted against each of the six ICJ propositions. She is currently the target of criticism from around the globe for her vote, with some social media users claiming that Ugandans ought to be ashamed.

“Judge Julia Sebutinde is such an embarrassment to her country & a disgrace to humanity. She didn’t just vote against S Africa’s petition, she voted against reason & morality, justice & freedom, love & compassion. She voted against the very soul of humanity,” one Kenyan user wrote on X.

“Julia Sebutinde is a disgrace to all of us in Africa, more especially African women. She demonstrated that she is nothing else, but a paid-up agent of the criminal Zionist Entity of Israel,” wrote another.

The only judge to find against emergency orders against Israel was Sebutinde.

Nevertheless, in spite of her decision, the UN court mandated that Israel take all necessary steps to stop crimes of genocide within the beleaguered enclave.