On Thursday, Colombian Ambassador to Uruguay Juan Jose Quintana Aranguren told Sputnik that Bogota was calling on all states-signatories to the Convention to align themselves with South Africa's suit.
"Today, Colombia, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel)," the statement read.
In its declaration, Colombia said that the Genocide Convention was "a cardinal instrument of international law" and that its case against Israel raised "vital issues" concerning the interpretation and application of certain provisions of the convention, the ICJ said.
South Africa filed its lawsuit against Israel on December 29, 2023. On January 26, the ICJ ruled provisional measures ordering Israel to take urgent steps to prevent acts of genocide and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to the enclave. At the same time, the ICJ did not order an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In early March, the African nation went back to the ICJ to call for additional provisional measures against Israel that would address widespread starvation among Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Another genocide lawsuit against Israel was filed by Nicaragua in early March. The case will be considered by the ICJ next week.