Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of fueling the ongoing 14-month war in the country by providing weapons to the rival paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The accusation was made by Sudanese Ambassador Al-Harith Mohamed during a UN Security Council meeting, where he stated that Sudan has evidence of the UAE supplying weapons and will submit a file on UAE actions to the International Criminal Court.
The UAE dismissed the allegation as “ludicrous” and “a shameful abuse by one of the warring parties.” UAE Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab called the accusations “false” and questioned why Sudan’s government refuses to return to peace talks. He urged Sudan’s ambassador to take responsibility for ending the conflict they started.
The Security Council meeting also addressed the dire situation in Sudan’s western Darfur region, with Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee warning of atrocities being committed along ethnic lines. She called for an immediate cease-fire in the North Darfur capital, El Fasher, which is besieged by the RSF.
The lives of 800,000 civilians trapped in El Fasher are at risk, with indiscriminate bombings, sexual violence, and imminent famine affecting millions in Darfur. Almost 5 million people face emergency levels of food insecurity, and over 2 million in 41 “hunger hotspots” are at high risk of catastrophic hunger.
Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023 when tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders erupted in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including Darfur. The UN estimates that over 14,000 people have been killed and 33,000 injured in the conflict.