UAE categorically denies supplying arms to any warring side in Sudan

Ahram Online , Sunday 13 Aug 2023

The UAE has categorically denied a recent World Street Journal report which claimed that the Emirates supplied arms to one of the warring parties in the Sudan conflict.

sudan
File Photo - Members of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum. AP

 

“The UAE has not supplied arms and ammunition to any of the warring parties in Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023," the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

A Wall Street Journal report on 10 August claimed that Ugandan authorities found weapons in the cargo of an aid plane sent by the UAE to Sudanese refugees in June.

The WSJ also cited African and Middle Eastern sources who claimed that these weapons were allegedly destined for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, which is one of the two warring sides in the armed conflict in Sudan.

However, Afra Al Hameli, Director of Strategic Communications at the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed her country's categorical refutation of all claims and allegations made in the WSJ report.

Al Hameli reaffirmed that the UAE does not take sides in the current conflict in Sudan, stressing that her country calls for the respect of Sudanese sovereignty and seeks an end to the conflict in that country.

She also noted that the UAE has called for de-escalation, a ceasefire and the initiation of diplomatic dialogue through bilateral and multilateral fora alongside its partners since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan.

The UAE has consistently supported the political process and efforts to achieve national consensus towards forming a government, Al Hameli said.

Abu Dhabi will continue to support all efforts aimed at achieving security in Sudan and enhancing its stability and prosperity until a ceasefire is secured, she added.

The UAE continues to monitor the humanitarian situation affecting the Sudanese people and its impact on neighbouring countries, said the Emirati official.

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