The Sudanese Army has repeatedly accused Abu Dhabi of arming militia forces in the country’s brutal civil war
The United Arab Emirates has accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of attacking the residence of its ambassador in the war-torn African nation’s capital, Khartoum. The army has denied the allegations, saying it does not target diplomatic missions in its fight with rival paramilitary forces.
In a statement early on Monday, the UAE’s Foreign Ministry said the “heinous attack” by a Sudanese Army aircraft had caused extensive damage to the envoy’s home.
“The UAE has called on the army to assume full responsibility for this cowardly act,” the ministry stated.
“The Ministry expressed its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at destabilizing security and stability, in contravention of international law,” it added.
Relations between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum have deteriorated since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April last year. In December, Sudan expelled 15 UAE Embassy staff in response to the alleged expulsion of three Sudanese diplomats from Abu Dhabi.
Officials of the northeastern African state’s army-led government have repeatedly accused the Emiratis of supplying arms to the RSF. A UN report found “credible” evidence that the UAE had sent weapons to the RSF via neighboring Chad. The Gulf nation has denied the allegations, claiming that it has consistently pushed for de-escalation, a ceasefire, and diplomatic dialogue since the conflict began.
On Monday, the Emirati Foreign Ministry denounced the alleged strike on the residence of the head of its mission in Khartoum as a “flagrant violation of the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic premises.”
It said Abu Dhabi would call on the Arab League, the African Union, and the UN to take action against the Sudanese Armed Forces.
In response, the SAF rejected the charge and blamed the RSF for the incident.
“The armed forces does not carry out these cowardly acts and does not violate international law but only targets areas where the militia is present and that is within its right to defend the Sudanese nation,” the army said in a statement.
The latest diplomatic spat comes just two months after Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan acknowledged the importance of peaceful dialogue to ensuring security in Sudan and pledged to support the African country in ending the deadly conflict. He spoke by phone with Sudan’s de facto leader and army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in July, in their first direct talks since the fighting started.
According to the UN, Sudan faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with tens of thousands of civilians killed and wounded, nearly 8 million people displaced, and 2 million more forced to flee to neighboring countries.
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