South Africa sued Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for allegedly contravening the Convention Against Genocide in its ongoing attack including bombardment against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

This followed Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023 against Israel that killed a reported 1,200 people.

Israel's campaign against Gaza has reportedly led to about 25,000 Palestinian deaths and wounded tens of thousands as of January 21, 2024. The majority of victims are children and women.

South Africa asked for provisional findings that would call for Israel to halt the attacks immediately while the court heard the case, a process that can take years.

Judge Julia Sebutinde, a Ugandan on the panel, was the only judge to vote against all the measures, something that even the Israeli ad hoc judge who heard the case didn't do. Judge Sebutinde even voted against measures that would provide more relief to Gaza.

Was Judge Sebutinde pressured by Uganda's military dictator Fieldmarshal Yoweri Museveni to vote the way she did? Otherwise Judge Sebutinde's vote makes no sense.

On the other hand Museveni is desperate to repair relations with the U.S. Perhaps he believes that a vote against the measures sought by South Africa would open a door for him to the White House and the Biden administration.

After the Ugandan military dictator signed a harsh anti-LGBTQ law last year in May that includes the death sentence for some same-sex acts, the World Bank cut off any new loans to Uganda and the country's economic position is desperate. Museveni just hosted a Non-Aligned Movement summit that the country can't afford.

The ICJ should investigate if Judge Sebutinde was pressured and whether she yielded to intervention by Museveni or his acolytes, or to any other external forces. Even though the ICJ judges are elected by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, she has family in Uganda and Museveni and the regime certainly has the means to coerce her.  

She must be removed from the bench if this was the case.

The Ugandan regime has issued a statement that it doesn't share Judge Sebutinde's position. However, this could be purely for propaganda purposes. After all, who would expect the dictator to admit that he pressured Judge Sebutinde?

The judge can't refute the Ugandan regime's statement without implicating herself.

The Ugandan military dictator is notorious for pressuring and punishing judges. In 2021 Museveni stole the presidential election from main challenger Robert Kyagulani, a.k.a Bobi Wine. Museveni then placed Bobi Wine under house arrest preventing him from filing a robust petition challenging the election results. When Bobi Wine asked the country’s supreme court, all of the judges rejected his motion, except courageous Esther Kisaakye who was blocked from filing her dissenting opinion. Dictator Museveni attempted to have Judge Kisaakye removed from the bench.

Last year, Museveni and his son, who has been involved in the torture of civilians, were charged with crimes against humanity in filings in the International criminal court.