Sudan Accuses UAE of Supporting Militias & Obstructing Aid

Sudan’s ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Hassan Hamid, launched a scathing attack on the United Arab Emirates on Monday, accusing the country of fueling the ongoing conflict in Sudan and undermining international efforts to achieve peace. The rebuke came during a session addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and potential expansions of existing arms embargoes.

Hamid directly challenged a recent call from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to broaden the arms embargo currently in place for the Darfur region to encompass all of Sudan. Instead, the Sudanese ambassador demanded accountability for the UAE, alleging its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was responsible for widespread destruction of infrastructure. He sharply criticized the UAE’s representative after the latter announced financial aid intended to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, questioning the sincerity of such offers given the alleged Emirati support for the conflict.

“It would have been more appropriate for the High Commissioner to call upon the UN Security Council to rise to its responsibilities and hold the UAE accountable for violating Resolution 1591 through its continued and substantial support for the Rapid Support Forces,” Hamid stated, according to reports from Sudan Tribune and Sudan Tomorrow.

Resolution 1591, passed in 2005, imposed an arms embargo on all parties to the conflict in Darfur. Hamid’s comments suggest Sudan believes the UAE is actively circumventing this resolution.

The UAE, however, has publicly affirmed its commitment to a peaceful resolution in Sudan and condemned human rights violations. Speaking before the Human Rights Council on Monday, Jamal Al-Musharakh, the UAE’s permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, reiterated the UAE’s condemnation of attacks on civilians, including a recent assault on a World Food Programme convoy. Al-Musharakh emphasized the UAE’s commitment to providing humanitarian aid and supporting a civilian-led political solution.

Hamid responded to these statements with skepticism, questioning the UAE’s motives. He accused the country of supplying the RSF with strategic drones used to target humanitarian movements and destroy critical infrastructure. He characterized the UAE’s humanitarian pledges as a desperate attempt to conceal its alleged involvement in the conflict.

“How can you talk about your alleged condemnation of the heinous attack on the World Food Programme convoy when you are providing the militia with these strategic drones that target humanitarian movements and destroy Sudan’s infrastructure?” Hamid reportedly asked, according to Sudan Tomorrow.

The exchange highlights a deepening rift between Sudan and the UAE, with Khartoum directly accusing Abu Dhabi of exacerbating the conflict. As of Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the UAE has not publicly responded to Hamid’s specific accusations. The UN Security Council has not announced any plans to review Resolution 1591 or investigate allegations of its violation.