Nicaragua at UN court: Germany not differentiating between self-defense and genocide

Nicaragua's Ambassador Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, right, and Alain Pellet, lef, a lawyer representing Nicaragua, wait for the start of a two days hearing at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 8, 2024 (AP Photo/Patrick Post)
Nicaragua's Ambassador Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, right, and Alain Pellet, lef, a lawyer representing Nicaragua, wait for the start of a two days hearing at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 8, 2024 (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

At the International Court of Justice, Nicaragua urges judges to halt German military and other aid to Israel.

Opening Nicaragua’s case, the country’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Carlos José Argüello Gómez, tells the 16-judge panel that “Germany is failing to honor its own obligation to prevent genocide or to ensure respect of international humanitarian law.”

Israel strongly denies that its assault amounts to genocidal acts, saying it is acting in self defense. Israeli legal adviser Tal Becker told judges at the court earlier this year that the country is fighting a “war it did not start and did not want.”

But Nicaragua rejects that defense, in a reference to Germany’s support for Israel.

“Surprisingly, Germany seems not to be able to differentiate between self-defense and genocide,” Argüello Gómez says.

The court will likely take weeks to deliver its preliminary decision, and Nicaragua’s case will probably drag on for years.

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