The Guardian: UK Intervenes to Shield UAE from Global Legal Challenges

The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the United Kingdom is actively trying to prevent international lawsuits against the UAE and suppress criticism regarding Abu Dhabi’s involvement in arming the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces militia.

According to sources cited by The Guardian, UK government officials have attempted to quell criticism aimed at the UAE and its role in supplying weapons to the infamous Rapid Support militia, which is conducting an ethnic cleansing campaign in Sudan.

The newspaper also noted that claims of Foreign Office officials pressuring African diplomats to refrain from criticizing the UAE will heighten scrutiny of the UK’s relationship with Abu Dhabi.

The Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused by rights groups of committing crimes against humanity, are besieging the city of El Fasher in Darfur, a sprawling region in western Sudan.

These fighters have laid siege to the city, with evidence suggesting they are targeting and killing civilians based on ethnicity. The siege has led to warnings that if El Fasher falls, it could result in widespread slaughter and potential genocide.

Yona Diamond, an international human rights lawyer, mentioned that during informal talks earlier this month in Ethiopia – which explored the possibility of legal action against the UAE for its alleged involvement in the conflict – sources informed him that the UK was actively discouraging some individuals from condemning the UAE.

Diamond, a senior legal advisor at the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, stated: “They told me that the United Kingdom discourages countries from criticizing the UAE.”

This sparked accusations among diplomats that the UK had prioritized its relationship with the UAE over the fate of civilians trapped in El Fasher, which is home to 1.8 million people.

Officials from the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a trade bloc that includes eight countries in East Africa, participated in the Diamond talks in Addis Ababa, along with other diplomats.

“We were looking forward to mobilizing support for the civilian protection mechanism [in Darfur] and moves to hold the UAE accountable at the International Court of Justice or elsewhere in the region,” he said.

Diamond, who co-chaired an independent investigation that found “clear and convincing evidence” that the RSF is committing genocide in Darfur, added: “We have been monitoring the implications of those findings, the violations of the [UN] Genocide Convention and the need for states to comply with their obligations.”

The Guardian highlighted the UAE’s role in the brutal 14-month civil war in Sudan between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces.

UN sanctions monitors described the accusations against the UAE of providing military support to the Rapid Support Forces as “credible.”

Last week, the Human Research Laboratory (HRL) at Yale University revealed images of a cargo plane flying over RSF territory near El Fasher, matching the type of aircraft seen at sites in neighboring Chad where lethal aid was allegedly transported to the RSF.

The findings have raised questions about the possibility of the RSF being resupplied with weapons by the Gulf state, although it is not known who operated the Ilyushin IL-76.

“The matter should be investigated by the UN Security Council, which can ask the UAE whether it is involved,” said Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of HRL.

In response to the allegations, Foreign Office officials highlighted a UK-led UN Security Council resolution from last Thursday that urged the RSF in Sudan to “end their siege” of El Fasher, the last town in West Darfur not under RSF control.

The resolution calls on “all Member States to refrain from external interference that seeks to provoke conflict and instability” and to comply with the arms embargo on Darfur.

However, critics say the text should have explicitly referred to the UAE.

Questions regarding the UAE’s support for the RSF arose during a June 13 meeting in London between the Foreign Office and members of the British Darfuri diaspora. This meeting was prompted by The Guardian’s disclosure of secret discussions between Britain and the RSF.

Abdullah Idris Abu Garda, head of the Darfur Diaspora Association, criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for prioritizing its relationship with the UAE over the safety of civilians.

Human rights organizations highlight the economic connections and close relationships between key British figures, such as Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and the UAE.

In 2013, while serving as Prime Minister, Lord Cameron set up a covert unit in Whitehall with the specific goal of attracting investment from the wealthy, oil-rich sheikhs of the UAE, seeking to secure billions in investments for the United Kingdom.

In January, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said he expected the UK to raise tens of billions of pounds in investment from the UAE.