Sudan severs ties with UAE over alleged paramilitary support

Sudan has cut diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after repeatedly accusing the Gulf nation of backing the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the country’s civil war.

The announcement comes after the RSF were blamed for three days of attacks on the usually safe city of Port Sudan.

On Tuesday, Sudan’s Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim accused the UAE of violating his country’s sovereignty through its “proxy”, the RSF. The UAE has repeatedly denied allegations that it is giving financial, military and political support to the paramilitary force.

Two years of conflict has killed thousands of people, forced millions from their homes and created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

As a result of the defence minister’s announcement, the Sudanese ambassador will be withdrawn from the UAE and Sudan will shut its diplomatic missions in the Gulf nation.

Over the past three days, drone strikes have hit an international airport, a major power station and a hotel in Port Sudan. The army has accused the RSF of being behind the assault, but the paramilitary group is yet to comment on the matter.

Until now, Port Sudan had avoided bombardment and was regarded as one of the safest places in the war-ravaged nation.

During the civil war Sudan’s army has accused the UAE of arming the RSF.

Both the UK and the US have singled out the UAE in separate appeals for outside countries to stop backing Sudan’s warring parties.

However, on Monday, the UN’s top court dismissed Sudan’s case against the UAE, in which it accused the Gulf state of complicity in genocide.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that the case could not proceed because the UAE had opted out Article 9 of the Genocide Convention, which means that it cannot be sued by other states over genocide allegations.

Reem Ketait, the UAE’s deputy assistant minister for political affairs, said the court’s decision was “clear and decisive”.

“The international community must focus urgently on ending this devastating war and supporting the Sudanese people, and it must demand humanitarian aid reaches all those in need,” she said.

Both the army and RSF have been accused of war crimes.