Sudan Officially Cuts Diplomatic Ties With UAE, Accuses Gulf State Of Backing RSF Militia

By Spy Uganda

Sudan’s army-aligned government has officially severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), labeling the Gulf nation an “aggressor state” for allegedly supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the country’s ongoing civil conflict.

In a televised statement on Tuesday, Sudanese Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim announced the immediate withdrawal of Sudan’s ambassador to the UAE and the closure of its embassy and consulate in the Gulf country. He accused the UAE of violating Sudan’s sovereignty by supporting the RSF, which has been engaged in a brutal conflict with the national army since April 2023.

“For over two years, the entire world has witnessed the crime of aggression against Sudan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of its citizens, carried out by the UAE through its local proxy—the terrorist RSF militia,” said Ibrahim.

The defense minister alleged that the UAE escalated its involvement by supplying the RSF with “strategic advanced weapons,” especially after the Sudanese army regained control of Khartoum in March.

Ibrahim vowed that Sudan would “respond to this aggression by all means necessary to safeguard national sovereignty and protect civilians.”

Following the announcement, Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, addressed the nation from Port Sudan, reiterating the government’s resolve to defeat both the RSF and its alleged foreign backers.

“We will defeat the militia and those who support it,” Burhan declared, standing against a backdrop of smoke rising from damaged port facilities. “To those who have attacked the Sudanese people, your time will come. Justice will prevail.”

The move to cut ties with the UAE came just hours after a third consecutive day of drone strikes hit Port Sudan, the country’s de facto capital and one of the few areas previously spared from the conflict.

The Sudanese government has consistently accused the UAE of arming the RSF—claims which Abu Dhabi has denied.

Sudan’s war, now in its second year, has devastated the country, killing tens of thousands, displacing over 13 million people, and triggering the world’s worst displacement and hunger crisis. The conflict has effectively split the country, with the army controlling the north, east, and center, while the RSF dominates most of the Darfur region and parts of the south.