The Sudanese News Agency reported today, Sunday, December 10, 2023, that the Khartoum authorities requested 15 Emirati diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours at the latest, indicating a state of tension in the relations between the two countries and the outbreak of a severe diplomatic crisis.

Details provided by the official Sudanese News Agency stated that the chargé d'affaires of the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Sudan, Badriya Al-Shehi, was summoned and informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sudanese government’s decision and was asked to convey the decision to her government.

Tension between Sudan and the UAE due to allegations of supporting Dagalo

The level of tension between Sudan and the UAE has increased in recent days following allegations by Sudanese parties that Abu Dhabi provided support to the leader of the Rapid Support Forces militia, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as "Hemedti".

Despite accusations against the UAE of supporting Dagalo, these allegations remained circulated on social media, but two days ago, in the first official public confrontation related to these suspicions, Sudanese Sovereignty Council member Yasser Al-Ataa said that “the UAE sends supplies to the Rapid Support Forces via the Chadian Um Jaras Airport.”

Yasser Al-Ataa accuses the UAE of collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces

At that time, Al-Ataa added, during a speech before members of the General Intelligence Service in Omdurman, that “the information we received from the intelligence and military intelligence services and Sudanese diplomacy indicates that the UAE sends supplies to the Rapid Support Forces.”

In the same context, in response to Al-Ataa’s statements, an official Sudanese source told "Swan Tribune" newspaper yesterday, Saturday, that the UAE government officially informed the Sudanese ambassador in Abu Dhabi, Abdel Rahman Sharfi, that the military attaché, his deputy, and the cultural attaché are persona non grata and was asked to leave the country within 48 hours.

The Sudanese source told the newspaper that Abu Dhabi informed the Sudanese ambassador that members of the Sudanese diplomatic mission representing the military attaché, Brigadier General Ahmed Abdelrahman Al-Bashir, his assistant, Major Mudathir Osman, and the cultural attaché are unwanted and were asked to be expelled from its territory.

The UAE's role supporting Sudan's unity and stability

In response to these accusations against Abu Dhabi, the UAE has been keen to support the Sudanese state during the transitional period, initiating many grants and aids. Nothing has emerged from its official circles that suggests bias towards any party to the ongoing conflict, and its official statements have focused on the necessity of stability.

In February, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, welcomed General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, and affirmed his country’s position supporting Sudan’s unity and development to enjoy stability.

Al-Burhan calls for a unified national army in Sudan

In another context, Sudanese Sovereignty Council Chairman General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan confirmed that the priorities for a peaceful solution to the Sudanese crisis lie in affirming commitment to the Jeddah Declaration of Humanitarian Principles and stopping the fighting, removing everything that hinders humanitarian aid, followed by launching a comprehensive political process based on genuine national will to reach national consensus on managing the transitional period and holding general elections.

Al-Burhan said in his speech before the Extraordinary Summit of IGAD Heads of State and Government held yesterday, Saturday, in Djibouti, amid regional and international participation, that signing the Jeddah Declaration of Humanitarian Principles was a real and early opportunity to peacefully end the Sudanese crisis, had the rebels committed to what was signed, but it has become indisputably clear that the rebellion had no political will to stop its war on the state and citizens.

The commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces renewed his affirmation on the necessity for the army to monopolize weapons in the country. He said: “We stress the need for a single national army to monopolize the use of military force,” considering that matter non-negotiable and intolerable.

He also considered that external interventions in the Sudanese crisis prolong the war.

Earlier, violent clashes erupted inside the Sudanese capital “Khartoum” on April 15, 2023, between the army forces led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces militia led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti,” resulting in many casualties and thousands of wounded, despite calls from many countries to calm the situation and return to negotiations again.

After many days of scuffles and violent clashes, Al-Burhan stated on Monday, August 14, 2023, that the Sudanese army supports its people and will continue to do so until free and fair elections are held in the country, adding that they will also hold victory celebrations in Sudan soon over the rebels, noting that the Rapid Support Forces militia showed its intention to take power, betrayed, and broke its pledge, describing them as “distorting facts.”