Sources who spoke with The Guardian relayed that the UK government is attempting to stifle criticism of the United Arab Emirates and its involvement in arming Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

International human rights attorney Yonah Diamond stated that top African diplomats informed him that the UK was actively trying to dissuade states from condemning the UAE during informal negotiations this month in Ethiopia.

Diamond, a senior legal counsel at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, said, "They told me that the UK was discouraging states from criticizing the UAE," as fingers are now being pointed at the UK for prioritizing ties with the UAE over the fate of civilians in Sudan.

He said, “We were looking to build support for a civilian protection mechanism [in Darfur] and moves to hold the UAE accountable in the international court of justice or elsewhere in the region.”

As the co-chair of an independent inquiry that found “clear and convincing evidence” of the RSF's genocide in Darfur, Diamond said, “We were following on from the implications of those findings, breaches of the [UN] genocide convention and the need for states to comply with their obligations.”

Still, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK continues to deny the claims, as one of its spokespersons said, “These accusations are categorically untrue. The UK is using its diplomatic influence to support efforts for a durable peace.”

Sudan has been embroiled in conflict since April 2023, with the regular military led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan being locked in combat with the RSF headed by his former deputy, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).

The Sudanese military has reported for months that Abu Dhabi is backing the RSF. In April, Sudan formally requested an urgent Security Council session to address these allegations, yet it was not convened.

Geopolitical dominance

The head of the Darfur Diaspora Association, Abdallah Idriss Abugarda, charged that the FCDO prioritized its ties with the UAE over the safety of civilians, stating, “We are very concerned about the British interests. It’s not beneficial that the UAE appears to have leverage over the UK. The UK doesn’t care about its moral obligation.”

Sudanese political analyst Kholood Khair explained that the geopolitical dynamics showed why the UK is trying to protect the UAE.

“The UAE has made itself indispensable to the west, in particular the US, as a guarantor of its strategic objectives in the region,” she said, adding, “The UAE has been helping the US stave off Chinese dominance in Africa by outspending Beijing and in return gets US security guarantees.”

Just last week, Sudan's UN ambassador publicly accused the UAE of instigating conflict within Sudan during a security council meeting.

Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed utilized the platform to voice Sudan's concerns.

He said the RSF, "supported with weapons by the Emirates," was "deliberately and systematically targeting the villages and cities."

Days prior, Sudan urged the UN Security Council to extend the current Darfur-related sanctions to include the UAE and Chad, accusing them of breaching UN resolutions, particularly the arms embargo established in 2005.

In a security council briefing, Sudan's representative, Ambassador Ammar Mahmoud, called for accountability for nations supporting and arming "criminal militias".