Episode: KPN 24-09-2026

ICJ may deliver Rohingya genocide case judgment in October, Gambia tells Bangladesh

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) may deliver its long-awaited judgment in October 2026 in The Gambia’s genocide case against Myanmar over its treatment of the Rohingya, according to information conveyed by Gambian Justice Minister and Attorney General Dawda A. Jallow to Bangladesh.

Jallow conveyed the expected timeframe during a meeting with Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on the sidelines of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Jeddah on August 27, according to Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry.

However, the ICJ has not publicly confirmed an October date. Following the conclusion of hearings in January, the Court said it had begun deliberations and that its decision would be delivered at a public sitting, with the date to be announced later.

Gambia says judgment expected in October

During the Jeddah meeting, Kobir and Jallow discussed the Rohingya crisis and progress in the case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar before the ICJ.

Bangladesh’s state minister thanked The Gambia for its leadership in pursuing accountability for the Rohingya, while Jallow said the judgment on accountability for atrocities against the Rohingya would have an important role in efforts to find a sustainable solution to the prolonged crisis.

The update is significant because the case has reached the deliberation stage following years of legal proceedings at the UN’s principal judicial organ in The Hague.

ICJ completed merits hearings in January

The ICJ held public hearings on the merits of The Gambia v. Myanmar from January 12 to 29, 2026, with both countries presenting two rounds of oral arguments.

The proceedings also included the examination of three witnesses and one expert called by The Gambia and one witness called by Myanmar. The Gambian delegation was led by Jallow, while Myanmar’s delegation was headed by Ko Ko Hlaing.

At the conclusion of the hearings on January 29, the Court formally began its deliberations.

“The Court’s decision will be delivered at a public sitting, the date of which will be announced in due course,” the ICJ said.

As of September 23, the Court’s official case page lists the January 29 conclusion of the merits hearings as its latest major public development and does not specify an October judgment date.

Case began in 2019

The Gambia instituted proceedings against Myanmar at the ICJ in November 2019, alleging violations of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to the Rohingya.

The litigation concerns Myanmar’s responsibility as a state under the Genocide Convention. The ICJ is separate from the International Criminal Court: the ICJ resolves legal disputes between states, rather than conducting criminal trials of individual defendants.

Myanmar challenged the Court’s jurisdiction and the admissibility of the case, but the ICJ rejected Myanmar’s preliminary objections in July 2022, allowing the case to proceed to the merits stage.

Eleven states are now formally intervening in the proceedings concerning interpretation of the Genocide Convention, according to the ICJ’s official case record.

Rohingya survivors gave evidence

The January merits proceedings were particularly significant because witnesses were examined as part of the case.

The ICJ’s official record confirms that three witnesses and an expert were called by The Gambia, while Myanmar called one witness.

The hearings examined the parties’ competing factual evidence and legal arguments concerning whether Myanmar bears responsibility under the Genocide Convention.

Myanmar has rejected The Gambia’s genocide allegations and challenged the evidence relied upon in the case. During its January arguments, Myanmar’s lawyers disputed the evidentiary basis of The Gambia’s claims and questioned material produced by UN investigative bodies.

Judgment could mark major stage in Rohingya accountability efforts

A final merits judgment would address whether Myanmar breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to the Rohingya.

The ruling would represent a major legal milestone in a case that has proceeded before the world’s highest UN court for nearly seven years.

For now, however, October remains an expected timeframe communicated by The Gambia rather than a formally announced ICJ judgment date.

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