Sudan’s government aligned with its military announced it has severed diplomatic relations officially with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and designated the Gulf nation an “aggressor.” The move was made public on Tuesday, May 6, through Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim’s television address, wherein he assured that Sudan will be recalling its ambassador and closing down its embassy and consulate in the UAE.
The move is a serious escalation in Sudan’s internal struggle, which has burned since April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Ibrahim alleged that the UAE had acted in contravention of Sudan’s sovereignty by supposedly backing the RSF with cutting-edge arms and logistical support.
For more than two years, the world has seen the UAE’s contribution to weakening Sudan’s territorial integrity and putting its people at risk through its proxy—the terrorist RSF militia,” Ibrahim said. He asserted that Abu Dhabi increased its backing of the RSF after the army’s recent recapture of Khartoum in March.”.
Although Sudan has consistently accused the UAE of supporting the RSF, the UAE has constantly refuted these claims. However, Sudan’s government now indicates that it will respond with all the means at its disposal to protect its sovereignty and defend civilians.
The news followed a wave of drone attacks on Port Sudan, the army’s current stronghold and de facto capital. The attacks, the third consecutive day of bombings, have fueled concerns of spreading zones of conflict.
Sudan’s civil war has already killed tens of thousands of people and displaced approximately 13 million. It has also unleashed an enormous humanitarian crisis, with hunger and instability on the rise. The country is still split, with the army controlling the north, east, and center and the RSF in control of much of Darfur and some of the south.
