International Court of Justice begins three-week genocide hearing against Myanmar

The International Court of Justice in The Hague began a three-week hearing on Jan. 12, 2026, into allegations that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya, in a case brought by Gambia on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Gambia filed the suit in 2019 and the court allowed it to proceed on the premise that international law gives countries a mandate to act against genocide anywhere, even if they are not directly affected.

The court used the same basis to allow South Africa’s 2023 genocide charge against Israel, which the source said remains at an early stage and has been rejected by Israel. Prosecutors say Myanmar launched a military campaign beginning in 2016, primarily in western Rakhine state, after alleging insurgent attacks on border posts.

U.N. officials and human rights groups have called it a coordinated, scorched-earth campaign that killed, wounded and raped untold numbers, razed villages and forced about a million people to flee. Myanmar’s government denies committing genocide or "ethnic cleansing," calling the operations "clearance operations" and long denying the Rohingya a distinct ethnicity.

Gambia’s attorney general, Dawda A. Jallow, and members of his legal team presented witness accounts and satellite images they say show systematic atrocities and cited government language they said dehumanized the Rohingya.

Key Topics

World, Myanmar, Rohingya, Gambia, World Court, Genocide Convention