Sudan has announced severing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates over its alleged backing of the Rapid Support Forces, APA learnt on Thursday.
The authorities in Khartoum accused the Gulf country of giving material support including military and financial aid to the paramilitary group in two years of conflict with the Sudanese military. The UAE has denied the allegations.
London and Washington had on previous occasions advised UAE and other proxies to stop army one faction or the other in the Sudanese civil war which has left tens of thousands killed and over 3 million displaced.
Defence minister Yassin Ibrahim said Sudan’s ambassador to the UAE has been recalled while its its diplomatic missions in the Gulf nation are being shut down.
UAE are also expected to react reciprocally.
The cutting of ties comes against the backdrop of RSF intensifying incursions on Port Sudan which until Sunday was considered relatively safe from the fighting.
Fighting for the city had continued throughout Wednesday although there appears to be a lull on Thursday.
The Sudanese army said a planned attack on the country’s biggest naval base had been thwarted after anti-aircraft missiles were deployed to neutralise RSF drones.
Meanwhile the International Court of Justice on Monday ruled that Sudan’s case accusing UAE of complicit in genocide could not go ahead. The ICJ said the UAE had referred to Article 9 of the Genocide Convention, which establishes that it cannot be litigated against over such allegations.
The Sudanese military junta led by Abdel Fattal al-Burhan and the RSF under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have been accused of war crimes since the conflict began in April 2023.
WN/as/APA