UAE Urges Immediate Action to Avert Sudan Famine and Calls for Inclusive Peace Talks
A significant statement from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United Nations Security Council highlighted the urgent need for action to avert famine in Sudan. The UAE reiterated its support for all initiatives aimed at achieving a ceasefire and a return to civilian government, formally calling on all warring parties to participate in the Jeddah talks process. This call to action underscores the UAE’s commitment to fostering peace and stability in the region, emphasizing the dire need to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan.
The UAE Mission at the UN commended the roles of Uganda and key African Union (AU) officials, as well as regional leaders, in their efforts to end the crisis. Recognizing these pivotal contributions, the UAE underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing such complex and multifaceted issues.
Joining the African Union Peace and Security Council’s call, the UAE urged leaders of the warring factions to meet under the auspices of the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development without further delay. The UAE also advocated for participation in the forthcoming all-inclusive Sudan political dialogue process in Addis Ababa, scheduled from 10th to 15th July 2024. This inclusive dialogue is seen as crucial for achieving sustainable peace and ensuring that the voices of all Sudanese people are heard and represented.
Issuing a statement in New York, the UAE made an urgent call to address the risk of famine. Emphasizing the importance of allowing and facilitating the urgent, unhindered, and sustained passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, the UAE highlighted that humanitarian aid must be delivered without obstruction to those suffering the most from the conflict.
“The international community must significantly increase its support to Sudan. The response to this crisis is too important to continue to be held back by warring factions who do not represent the interests of the Sudanese people,” the UAE stated. “The UAE remains focused on working with international partners to mitigate the risk of famine and to encourage the warring parties to engage positively in a political process. Furthermore, the UAE supports all initiatives aimed at ending this conflict and firmly believes that peace talks should be supported by all those who wish to see a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”
Reaffirming its “support for efforts to de-escalate tensions, implement a ceasefire, and advance negotiations leading to the restoration of a legitimate government representative of all Sudanese people,” the UAE stressed that continued violence only underscores that none of the warring parties represent the people of Sudan. The UAE reaffirms that there is no military solution to this conflict, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in achieving lasting peace.
Countering fabricated allegations made by the representative of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) against the UAE, the statement provided evidence showing that:
Images from passports the SAF claimed were ‘found on the battlefield’ were actually photographs of scans or photocopies of the data pages of six passports belonging to charity workers and a businessman who visited Sudan well before the conflict. These defamatory allegations against the individuals starkly contrast with the welcome they previously received from Sudanese authorities. The individuals are all in possession of their passports and reserve their right to take legal action.
A photograph of a damaged armored vehicle published by the SAF representative was erroneously identified as a “Nimr armored vehicle with Ford interior.” The UAE statement conclusively demonstrated that it is not a Nimr vehicle and, in fact, no Nimr vehicle is produced on a Ford chassis or with a Ford interior.
Rejecting false allegations regarding the supply of arms and military equipment to a warring party, the UAE clarified that it has not provided any arms or related material of any kind to any of the warring parties since the start of the conflict. Military assistance was provided to Sudan prior to the outbreak of the conflict, and at the request of the Government of Sudan, through the Ministry of Defense of Sudan and the SAF, to support Sudan’s efforts in upholding peace and stability.
“The photographs of phones in the Sudanese representative’s 10 June 2024 letter are commercial phones that were widely sold,” the UAE stated. “These models are obsolete civilian phones no longer in production. The ‘Etisalat’ logo and markings which appear on some of the phones are old—dating from before the year 2000—and are no longer used by the company.”
A UAE Government Spokesman said, “The allegations made by the Sudanese representatives are nothing more than fabrications without context or corroborating evidence and should be summarily disregarded.”
The statement highlighted the deep relations between the two countries. “The impacts of this conflict are acutely felt by the large community of Sudanese people in the UAE, who comprise a valued part of our society and who are testament to the deep-rooted relations between our two countries.”
Illustrating the substantial direct help provided by the UAE to the people of Sudan, the statement noted, “The UAE has sought to help meet the humanitarian needs of the Sudanese people. After the SAF regrettably declined our offer of 25th May 2023 to establish a field hospital in Sudan to provide aid and medical support, the UAE established two field hospitals near the Chad-Sudan border. These field hospitals continue to be a critical lifeline for those in need of medical care.
“Moreover, last week, the UAE signed new agreements with the UN to increase aid for Sudan, allocating a further $70 million in aid for Sudan through key partners and UN agencies, in addition to the $130 million the UAE has provided in humanitarian aid to Sudan since the conflict erupted in April 2023.”
The UAE will continue to make its case through the UN to help end the conflict and remove the fog of disinformation from international discussions that seek to obscure the path towards resolving the conflict and ending the suffering in Sudan.