April 30, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s Foreign Ministry harshly criticized Britain on Monday, accusing it of altering the format and agenda of a closed-door UN Security Council meeting on Sudan. The Ministry views this as complicity in atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The statement expresses disappointment in Britain’s alleged prioritization of commercial interests with the UAE over its moral and political obligations as a permanent Security Council member.

“Britain’s protection of the war’s biggest financier in Sudan, coupled with revealed secret meetings between British officials and the Rapid Support Militia, makes them a partner in the atrocities committed by this terrorist militia and its sponsor,” the statement reads.

In mid-April, The Guardian reported on secret talks between British Foreign Office officials and the RSF. The report warned that such engagement risks legitimizing a notorious militia accused of war crimes and tarnishes the UK’s moral standing in the region.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry claims the Security Council meeting was intended to address “UAE aggression against Sudan, represented by multifaceted sponsorship of the terrorist Rapid Support Militia.”

Shifting agendas and pressures

The statement contends that Britain, self-proclaimed as “the penholder” on Sudanese issues, intervened to change the meeting’s format and focus. It claims the focus shifted to a broader discussion of the situation in Sudan and the El Fasher region specifically.

This, according to the statement, coincides with a report in The Sunday Times on April 28th, alleging intense UAE pressure on Britain to shield them in the Security Council following revelations of their role in fuelling the war through continued support for the RSF.

Additionally, the newspaper reported that the UAE cancelled ministerial meetings with Britain, citing a lack of support from the UK regarding the UN accusations.

On Monday, the Security Council held a session on the humanitarian situation in Sudan, with a specific focus on El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur. The RSF reportedly surrounds the city, threatening an attack.

The statement mentions that Security Council members urged the RSF to cease hostilities around El Fasher and refrain from attacking any city. It also mentions their call for regional parties to loosen the arms embargo on Darfur, but no decisions were reached.

Sudan Tribune