US calls for ceasefire in Sudan and intensifies pressure on UAE

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscored the need for a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan during a call with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on November 14, reports Reuters.

The discussion came shortly after Rubio warned that action was required on November 12 to halt the flow of weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023.

Accusations that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has supplied weapons to the RSF have drawn international scrutiny. U.N. experts and U.S. lawmakers have indicated the claims are credible.

The UAE’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Jamal Al Musharakh, rejected the allegations on November 13, denying any form of support to either side of the conflict.

The conflict has evolved into what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, compounded by shrinking global aid budgets. By mid-October, an estimated 12.5 million Sudanese had been displaced both within Sudan and across its borders, with an additional 140,000 fleeing recent RSF attacks on El-Fasher and towns in the Kordofan region.

Rubio told reporters on November 12 that Washington was applying pressure on all actors fueling the fighting. “Something needs to be done to cut off the weapons and the support that the RSF is getting as they continue with their advances,” he said.

Addressing questions about the UAE’s role, Rubio declined to name it directly but stated, “We know who the parties are that are involved … I can just tell you at the highest levels of our government that case is being made and that pressure is being applied to the relevant parties.”

He also did not rule out designating the RSF as a terrorist organization, saying the U.S. would consider the move if it could help end the conflict.

The RSF’s capture of El-Fasher on October 26 solidified its grip on the Darfur region. The U.N. refugee agency reported that tens of thousands who fled the city remain unaccounted for, amid reports of mass killings, ethnic cleansing, rape and other abuses from those who escaped the RSF siege.

Reuters, Maghrebi