Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Elfadil Ibrahim
“Recent weeks events have dramatically cast the Sudanese civil war back into the international spotlight, drawing renewed scrutiny to the role of external actors, particularly the United Arab Emirates. This shift has been driven by Sudan’s accusations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the UAE concerning violations of the Genocide Convention, alongside drone strikes on Port Sudan that Khartoum vociferously attributes to direct Emirati participation. Concurrently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly reaffirmed the UAE’s deep entanglement in the conflict at a Senate hearing last week. … Though Sudan’s military-led government has explicitly reserved its right to self-defense, a conventional military attack on the UAE is practically impossible; Sudan’s army, embroiled in its internal war against the RSF, lacks the necessary power projection capabilities for such a feat. Moreover, a direct assault on the UAE would invite swift, punishing retaliation from the well-connected petroleum exporting giant.” (05/28/25)