Rohingya refugees in Cox Bazaar, Bangladesh cheered as the presiding judge of the International Court of Justice (World Court) ordered Myanmar to take urgent measures to protect its Rohingya population from genocide. 

The refugees cheered and chanted “Gambia! Gambia!” as they celebrate their first major legal victory since being forced from their homes by the Myanmar authorities. 

Thursday’s ruling dealt with the provisional measures Gambia had asked the court to ensure that Myanmar protects the Rohingya people from genocide. The main genocide case against Myanmar will take years to resolve.

“For the first time, we have got some justice,” Mohammed Nur, a Rohingya refugee told Reuters. “This is a big achievement for the entire Rohingya community.” 

“That is something we have been fighting for a long time: to be recognised as humans the same as everyone else,” Yasmin Ullah, said. 

Majority Buddhist Myanmar has refused to describe the Muslim Rohingya as an ethnic group and refers to them as Bangladeshi migrants. However, the court ruling explicitly recognised the Rohingya as an ethnic minority protected group under the Genocide Convention.