UAE Engages in First Discussions with Sudan’s Leader

UAE initiates first talks with the leader of war-torn Sudan. Explore the goals and implications of this significant diplomatic engagement.

Paramilitary fighters in the continuing fatal conflict were alleged by Sudanese army to have been armed by Abu Dhabi.

WAM reports that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has vowed to assist Sudan in bringing an end to a lengthy military conflict between opposing factions within the country.

WAM reported last Thursday that the Emirati president spoke with Sudan’s de facto leader and army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan over the phone to declare their decision.

Direct talks between the two leaders took place last week. This marked their first meeting since conflict erupted in mid-April 2023, following months of tension between Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, chief of paramilitary forces known as Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The United Nations estimates that around 10 million people have been internally displaced while roughly 17,000 individuals have lost their lives to date.

Last year, the relationship between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum worsened when Sudan expelled 15 diplomats from the UAE embassy as a retaliatory measure to three Sudanese diplomats being expelled from Abu Dhabi.

Allegedly, the Sudanese military personnel have accused the Emirati government of providing weaponry to RSF in order to battle against national armed forces. However, Abu Dhabi has refuted these claims by emphasizing its efforts towards seeking a reduction in violence through means such as diplomacy and ceasefire since the beginning of conflict within Sudan.

According to reports, the UAE president and his Sudanese counterpart conversed over the phone on Thursday regarding potential measures that could enhance their countries’ diplomatic ties.

Emphasizing the significance of peaceful discussions to protect Sudan’s security and stability, Al Nahyan assured that Abu Dhabi would persist in aiding humanitarian efforts aimed at alleviating the sufferings of approximately 25 million individuals requiring assistance.

In the aftermath of its confrontation with the RSF, Sudan’s government led by military forces has taken measures to strengthen its international alliances. On Sunday, they fully re-established diplomatic relations with Iran after an eight-year hiatus.

In 2016, Omar al-Bashir, the former President of Sudan cut ties with Iran as a gesture of support to Saudi Arabia after an incident where the Saudi embassy in Tehran was assaulted.