Sudan has cut diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to accusations of the Gulf nation backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the country’s civil war.
Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim announced the decision following three consecutive days of aerial attacks on Port Sudan, which the RSF has been blamed for.
The attacks, which started on Sunday, have hit key infrastructure, including an international airport, a major power station, and a hotel. The Sudanese army claims to have foiled a strike on the country’s biggest naval base.
Until now, Port Sudan had been considered a safe haven in the war-torn nation.
The UAE has repeatedly denied allegations of providing financial, military, and political support to the RSF. However, Sudan’s army has often accused the UAE of arming the paramilitary force.
Both the UK and US have also singled out the UAE in separate appeals for outside countries to stop backing Sudan’s warring parties.
As a result of the severed ties, Sudan will withdraw its ambassador from the UAE and shut its diplomatic missions in the Gulf nation.
The conflict in Sudan has killed thousands, displaced millions, and created a severe humanitarian crisis.
In a related development, the UN’s top court recently dismissed Sudan’s case against the UAE, which accused the Gulf state of complicity in genocide.
The court ruled that the UAE had opted out of Article 9 of the Genocide Convention, making it immune to such allegations.
