A human rights group has connected the UAE’s unethical foreign policy in Africa to schemes aimed at maintaining neo-colonialism and human rights abuses.

Americans for Democracy and Human Rights assert that the UAE has become a significant force in Africa, leveraging economic and strategic initiatives to expand its influence. This includes investments in infrastructure, ports, and communications, alongside military partnerships and political alliances.

However, the UAE’s presence is fraught with controversy, particularly due to accusations of neo-colonialism and human rights abuses, which raise questions about its true motives.

The UAE’s strategic entry into Africa is largely driven by its economic goals and geopolitical ambitions. Aiming to diversify its economy beyond oil dependence, the UAE has set its sights on Africa’s rapidly growing markets.

Investments have also been directed towards key sectors such as ports and logistics services, highlighted by the expansion of the UAE’s major port operator, DP World, in various African ports.

It is scheduled to invest $3 billion in African ports in the next five years. In addition, the UAE’s investments in renewable energy projects aim to address the continent’s energy deficit, however, its dominant influence in the Horn of Africa also represents a strategic route for crude oil exports.

Military-wise, the UAE has established a presence in key places: establishing a military base in Eritrea and participating in conflicts, such as in Libya and Somalia.

These moves are driven by the UAE’s desire to balance its regional opponents such as Iran and Turkey, and thus secure its interests in the Red Sea and beyond.

However, UAE military interventions have been criticized for exacerbating conflicts and contributing to human rights violations.

Not only in Libya, where the UAE’s support for General Khalifa Haftar has been associated with civilian casualties, breaches of international law, and the overthrow of the UN-backed government but also in Sudan, where the UAE’s backing of the Rapid Support Forces has intensified the conflict and worsened the country’s refugee crisis.

The UAE’s activities in Africa have been accused of neo-colonialism, as UAE investments often prioritize their interests at the expense of others, leading to exploitative economic arrangements.

The acquisition of vast tracts of agricultural land in Sudan and Ethiopia has sparked accusations of land grabbing, displacing local communities, and undermining food security.

Additionally, the drive towards “green land grabbing” for environmental projects and carbon credits has simply shifted the burden of reducing carbon emissions from major polluters to rural communities in various African countries that rely on small-scale agriculture for their livelihoods.

In Tanzania, the UAE has faced significant criticism from numerous human rights groups for forcibly displacing the Maasai people from their ancestral lands. This was done to create a wildlife corridor for trophy hunting and elite tourism, disregarding the rights of indigenous people to maintain their traditional livelihoods.

What fuels this neo-colonial narrative is the UAE’s extraction of natural resources in Africa, often without equitable benefits to the host countries.

By supporting leaders with questionable human rights records, the UAE offers strategic gains over respect for basic human rights.

Emirati influence in Africa presents a complex and controversial narrative. While its investments hold potential for significant economic development, underlying issues of neo-colonialism and human rights violations are pervasive. These disputes challenge the legitimacy and moral foundations of the Emirati presence in Africa.