by Hafizur Rahman
The Republic of The Gambia told the International Court of Justice on Monday that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya people, subjecting them to extreme violence that destroyed their lives and communities.
Addressing the Court, Gambia said Myanmar’s actions were aimed at destroying the Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Rakhine State. The hearings mark the first full genocide case heard by the ICJ in more than a decade.
Gambia’s Justice Minister Dawda Jallow told judges that the Rohingya were peaceful people who sought only to live with dignity. Instead, he said, Myanmar turned their lives into “a nightmare” through killings, rape, and the systematic burning of villages.
Myanmar rejects genocide allegations
Myanmar has strongly denied the accusation of genocide. The state argues that its 2017 military operations in Rakhine State were conducted as part of a counter terrorism campaign.
In 2017, Myanmar’s military launched a large scale operation that forced more than 730,000 Rohingya to flee across the border into Bangladesh. Many Rohingya refugees later described witnessing mass killings, widespread sexual violence, and the burning of their homes and villages.
A United Nations investigation subsequently concluded that Myanmar’s military committed acts that could amount to genocide against the Rohingya population.
Rohingya voices seek justice
Rohingya victims who traveled to The Hague said they are hoping the case will finally lead to justice and accountability.
“We want the world to know that we were victims and that Myanmar committed genocide against us,” said one Rohingya refugee.
The case was first filed by The Gambia in 2019. During earlier hearings, Myanmar’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared before the Court and rejected the genocide allegations on behalf of the state.
The current phase of hearings is seen as particularly significant because, for the first time, Rohingya victims’ accounts will be formally heard by an international court. However, the sessions involving victim testimony will be held behind closed doors to ensure safety and privacy.
As the hearings continue, Rohingya communities across camps and diaspora remain focused on the proceedings, viewing the case as a critical test of whether international justice can deliver accountability for crimes committed against them.
