What's behind attack on UAE ambassador in Sudan?
The UAE's role in Sudan is coming under greater scrutiny as the battle for power between rival groups SAF and RSF drags on into its 17th month.
DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates' role in Sudan has attracted scrutiny over the last year and was further highlighted in an attack on its ambassador's residence on Monday, which the Gulf state condemned as "heinous."
The residence of Ambassador Hamad Mohammed AlJneibi, located in the capital Khartoum, came under attack by a "Sudanese army aircraft" resulting in extensive damage to the building, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Afra Al Hameli said in a statement on the X platform.
#UAE condemns heinous attack that targeted the residence of the UAE Ambassador in #Sudan
The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the heinous attack that targeted the residence of the UAE Head of Mission in Khartoum by a Sudanese army aircraft, which resulted in extensive…— Afra Al Hameli (@AfraMalHameli) September 29, 2024
The UAE called on the Sudanese army to "assume full responsibility" for what it called a "cowardly act." Abu Dhabi said it would submit letters to the Arab League, the African Union and the United Nations to complain about the attack, which it called a "flagrant violation of the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic premises."
The Sudanese army denied on Monday that it attacked the ambassador's residence calling them false allegations and putting the blame on its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
What is the UAE doing in Sudan?
The UAE has come under increasing scrutiny for its role in Sudan in support of the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is known as Hemedti, against the Sudanese Armed Forces led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al Burhan — a charge it denies. Abu Dhabi blamed the attack on the ambassador squarely on the forces led by al-Burhan.
On Saturday, state-backed Emirates Red Crescent, which runs a field hospital at Amdjarass in neighboring Chad, denied allegations that its premises were being used for military purposes. The ERC called the allegations "baseless" and "reckless" and said it endangered its humanitarian personnel on the ground in Chad.
When did the UAE become involved in Sudan?
The UAE has increased its involvement in Sudan after the conflict broke out between the SAF and RSF in April 2023. The ongoing civil war began when RSF attacked SAF bases as well as the country's main airport.
Publicly, the UAE expressed concern and evacuated its citizens. It also agreed with Saudi Arabia and the United States in Jeddah to provide humanitarian aid.
Privately, however, one expert says the UAE role is driven by many geopolitical interests in Khartoum. The UAE's interests "first and foremost" involve eradicating any traces of the Muslim Brotherhood and the former regime in Sudan, Cameron Hudson, senior fellow at Center for Strategic and International Studies, said.
The UAE is also a big funder of the Sudanese economy, investing billions of dollars over the years. In August, the country pledged $6 billion to develop a new Red Sea port as part of an investment package that includes a free trade zone, an agricultural project and $300 million deposited to the country's central bank.
"The Emiratis seem to believe that when the war is over they will be the principal funder of Sudan,' Hudson said. The Sudanese government has accused the UAE of supplying weapons to arm the RSF, most recently during a UN Security Council Meeting on September 4. The UAE has denied the charges as "utterly false" and "baseless."
The UAE joined the United States, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the AU and the United Nations calling on both the SAF and RSF to take several critical steps to prevent the spread of famine and allow for humanitarian aid.
The UAE's role in Sudan also came up during the visit of the country's president, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the White House last week. The office of US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also the Democratic nominee in the upcoming election, said that she "raised her deep concerns about the conflict in Sudan" during her meeting with the Emirati president.
The human cost of conflict
The conflict in Sudan followed the 2019 ouster of strongman Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for over 30 years. The RSF, which evolved from the Arab Janjaweed militia funded by Bashir, is in a power struggle with the SAF in a Libya-like scenario of two generals jostling for national supremacy.
According to the UN, 25 million people including 14 million children are "in dire need of humanitarian assistance" since the fighting broke out between the two groups. The UN reported 15,500 fatalities in June, with 1,400 violent incidents. Around 9.5 million people have been forcibly displaced with 7.3 million internally displaced and 1.9 million living in neighboring countries.
