The Sudanese military government has issued a request to the UN to expand sanctions and limitations regarding Darfur, in the west of Sudan, to both the UAE and Chad, who Sudan accuses of violating UN resolutions regarding Darfur.
Accusations of Violations
Sudan’s Ambassador to the UN, Ammar Mahmoud, has called upon the UN Security Council to expand sanctions to nations that he said are supporting and arming “criminal militias” in Sudan. Specifically, he referred to Chad, a neighbour of Sudan, and the UAE, who he referred to as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) “official and regional sponsor.”
“The UAE’s support and arms supplies are directly contributing to the violence and suffering of civilians in Sudan” -Sudanese Ambassador to the UN, Ammar Mahmoud
There have been long standing sanctions placed against Sudan due to the perpetual situation in Darfur, where there has been continual conflict, genocide, and other ethnic strife. In 2005, an arms embargo was placed upon the region, which has remained in place. Sudan accuses Chad and the UAE of violating this embargo by arming the RSF.
The ambassador stated that there was “no reason to maintain Darfur sanctions if they do not include countries actively violating relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly the UAE and Chad.” He added that the resolutions and embargoes have placed restrictions upon the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), but these restrictions have been ignored by the RSF and their alleged sponsors.
This is not the first time Sudan has levelled these accusations against the UAE. Sudan has, on several occasions accused the UAE of supplying the RSF. It additionally is not the first time Sudan has requested UN action against them.
On May 24th the UN Security Council (UNSC) held a session at Sudan’s request in order to discuss these accusations.
During this session, the US’ Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield, issued condemnations to both sides of the war, calling upon “external actors” (notably not specifically naming the UAE) to cease funding the “belligerents” of the war, for the SAF to stop obstructing aid, and the RSF to cease its attacks against civilians and the city of El-Fasher.
The UNSC took no action against the UAE in neither the May 24th session, or the recent session.
Further, Sudan pushed for the designation of the RSF as a terror organization. Sudan has been fighting the RSF since war broke out in Sudan over disagreements on if/how the RSF should integrate into the military, as well as power sharing agreements. Since then, the RSF has gained a significant amount of ground, and its leader, Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Hamdan Dagalo, has made several diplomatic trips to nations around Africa and maintains diplomatic relations with a number of countries.
The SAF has been keen to deny the RSF any sense of legitimacy, and has pushed for their recognition as a terror group in order to try and diminish their increasing standing on the world stage. An added sense of legitimacy for the RSF would give them an upper hand in any potential ceasefire negotiations.
