Research Of Qatar And U.A.E Conflict
Topic area:
- Qatar accuses U. A. E. of discrimination against Qatar and Qatari citizens.
- Qatar also claims that U. A. E. has violated CERD.
Statement of the problem
U. A. E. with the support of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, accused Qatar of funding and supporting non-state actors. U. A. E. ordered nationals to not only leave Qatar but also banned its nationals from entering, residing or transiting through Qatar. Furthermore, it closed its airspace and seaports to Qatar and severed all diplomatic relations with Qatar. U. A. E. also expelled Qataris from their nation by giving them 14 days of time to comply and simultaneously, ordered Qatari diplomats to exit from U. A. E. within 48 hours. Qatar filed a lawsuit at the ICJ against U. A. E. over alleged human right violations.
Below are some of the main causes that provoked the malice between the two wealthy Gulf States.
- The hacking of Qatari websites: Qatari news medium Al Jazeera was hacked and stories about Qatar supporting non-state actors were posted.
- Alleged terror group support by Qatar: Qatar was alleged to have continually funded and provided support to terror groups such as Al Qaeda and Daesh by promoting their ideologies through its indirect and direct media.
- Boycott of Qataris by the UAE: U. A. E. ordered Qataris to leave their nation and also told their nationals to flee from Qatar. This was considered a violation of CERD.
History of conflicts
Crisis regarding Hamid Bin Khalifa Al Thani
When Hamid Bin Khalifa Al Thani exiled his father to become the Emir of Qatar, U. A. E. gave the banished Emir shelter. Infuriated by this, Qatar, a small yet wealthy country, accused U. A. E. of plotting against the new Emir, Hamid Bin Khalifa Al Thani. By 1996, several arrests were made and the Qatar Amiri Guard commonly known as the Qatar Armed Forces was activated.
The 2014 Riyadh Treaty
The Riyadh Treaty stated that the Gulf States would not meddle in each others’ political affairs. Qatar, however, was accused by U. A. E. and its allies of not only violating this treaty but also of utilising the news media as a medium to criticise U. A. E.
Libyan Civil War
The second Civil War of Lybia is considered to be a major armed conflict between Qatar and U. A. E. . Both acted on behalf of two other parties and were not directly involved in the hostilities. Qatar supported the Islamist National Salvation Government while U. A. E. assisted the Tobruk Government.
These conflicts ruined the pristine and sturdy relations between U. A. E. and Qatar. They also put in jeopardy, the future of the unity of the other Gulf States.
Judge’s viewpoint
As a judge of the ICJ and by virtue of the powers vested in me, I am dutifully bound to incorporate justice in my verdict. To the court evidence plays a vital role. A good piece of evidence has the potential to outdo any other false notions. Prima facie, this dispute is based on the differential interpretation of the International Convention on the Elimination of all sorts of Racial Discrimination and falls under the jurisdiction of this court by way of Article 22 of CERD, which categorically reads as follows: “Any dispute between two or more States Parties with respect to the interpretation or application of this Convention, which is not settled by negotiation or by the procedures expressly provided for in this Convention, shall, at the request of any of the parties to the dispute, be referred to the International Court of Justice for decision, unless the disputants agree to another mode of settlement.”
Conclusion
Both state parties to this dispute, viz. U. A. E. and Qatar, are well within their rights to approach this court with their grievances and prayers for justice, with appropriate evidences to support their claims and shall be heard in due course. The law functions on the clear understanding that any absence of evidence is by no means, an evidence of absence. I would like to conclude this paper quoting Abraham Lincoln, “The leading rule for the lawyer, as for the man of every calling, is diligence.”
