Political and Humanitarian Momentum: UAE Intensifies Efforts to End the Sudan Crisis

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A statement from the UAE and four countries and international organizations regarding the Sudan crisis marks the second within three days, as part of ongoing UAE-led political and humanitarian efforts to resolve the crisis.

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These statements coincide with the UAE’s current participation in international talks in Geneva aimed at achieving a ceasefire and addressing the resulting humanitarian crisis.

This comes as the UAE continues its relief and humanitarian efforts, having signed a series of agreements in June worth $70 million with UN organizations to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Sudan, in addition to allocating $30 million to support Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries.

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These efforts reflect the UAE’s commitment to supporting all solutions and initiatives aimed at de-escalating and ending the crisis in the brotherly country of Sudan, thereby enhancing its stability and security and fulfilling its people’s aspirations for development and prosperity, as previously stated by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.

Geneva Talks: A Prominent Role

Among the latest efforts, international talks are ongoing in Geneva, Switzerland, for the third consecutive day, which began on Wednesday with the goal of achieving a ceasefire in Sudan and addressing the resulting humanitarian crisis. The talks involve a delegation from the Rapid Support Forces, while representatives from the Sudanese Army are absent, with participation from the UAE, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Egypt, the African Union, and the United Nations.

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U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello reiterated his call for the Sudanese Army to join the Geneva talks in a tweet today.

On the second day of the Geneva negotiations, the Sudanese Sovereignty Council decided on Thursday to open the Adré border crossing with Chad to allow humanitarian aid to reach those affected by the conflict.

This step is crucial amidst a worsening humanitarian crisis, and the participating countries as sponsors, mediators, and observers in the Geneva talks, especially the UAE, recognize its importance under the current circumstances.

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A joint statement issued by the UAE, the United States, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the African Union, and the United Nations today stated: “The delegations in Geneva welcome the Sudanese Armed Forces’ decision to open the Adré border crossing, which is an important step to save lives and prevent famine, and we look forward to the first convoys crossing in the coming days.”

The statement called on the Rapid Support Forces to take immediate steps to ensure the protection of relief groups crossing the Adré border, facilitate their transportation of humanitarian aid without restrictions, and allow their operations to proceed independently of armed and political entities.

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The signatories to the statement noted that “we all need to take urgent steps to deliver humanitarian aid to Darfur and across all Sudanese territories, providing safe and unobstructed corridors to those in need, regardless of the controlling party.”

They emphasized that “expanding the scope of humanitarian aid is a top priority for the members of the international community gathered in Switzerland, and facilitating humanitarian access and protecting civilians is in line with the parties’ commitments under the Jeddah Declaration and international humanitarian law.”

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The same countries issued a statement on Wednesday, coinciding with the start of the Geneva talks, affirming that they are “working diligently and intensively within diplomatic efforts aimed at supporting Sudan, facilitating humanitarian aid access, halting hostilities, and adhering to the results of previous Jeddah talks and other efforts, and international humanitarian law.”

Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese Army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by its former deputy General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti), have been engaged in battles that a series of successive ceasefires have failed to halt, resulting in thousands of deaths, mostly civilians, and displacing millions, mostly children.

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Previous negotiation rounds held in Jeddah have failed, and at the end of July, Washington called on the warring parties for a new round of negotiations in Switzerland, hoping to end the devastating war.

The ongoing discussions in Switzerland aim to expand the delivery of humanitarian aid and establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure the implementation of any agreement.

Comprehensive UAE Vision

UAE’s political and humanitarian efforts continue, starting with a statement issued on August 6, which included a comprehensive UAE vision to address the famine threat spreading in Sudan, one of the major consequences of the ongoing war in the country for the past 16 months.

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The statement outlined an Emirati roadmap to combat the humanitarian crisis facing Sudan in general and famine in particular, along with a broader vision to end the ongoing war.

To address this crisis, the UAE set out demands for the conflicting parties, the international community, and the UN Security Council, including:

• The Sudanese Armed Forces lifting restrictions on humanitarian aid access.
• The Rapid Support Forces enabling humanitarian organizations to operate safely and without fear of attack to reach those in need.
• Urging the international community to urgently increase the volume of humanitarian aid.

The UAE emphasized that the horrific developments on the ground require an urgent increase in humanitarian aid delivered through borders and across conflict lines to save millions of lives, as the international community cannot allow the Sudanese people to be used as political bargaining chips.

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The UAE has firmly condemned the use of famine as a weapon in the conflict.

This statement follows weeks after the UAE, along with 14 other countries, issued a statement on July 17 expressing deep concern over food security in Sudan, fears about famine risks, and the severe impact of the deteriorating situation on civilian safety.

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Humanitarian Support

In terms of figures, the UAE has allocated $70 million to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Sudan through UN agencies and humanitarian organizations, in addition to $30 million for neighboring countries to support Sudanese refugees.

This funding, secured through a series of agreements with UN organizations in June, is part of the UAE’s commitment announced during its participation in the “International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighboring Countries,” held in Paris in April, amounting to $100 million.

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In addition to the $130 million previously provided by the UAE as aid since the crisis began, the total UAE assistance to Sudan since the onset of the current crisis exceeds $230 million, while the total contributions from the UAE to Sudan over the past decade exceed $3.5 billion.

This assistance to Sudan and neighboring countries reflects the UAE leadership’s ongoing commitment to providing humanitarian and relief support to the brotherly Sudanese people and its strong focus on addressing humanitarian challenges and continuing to extend aid and support.

Since the beginning of the Sudan crisis, the UAE’s efforts to de-escalate and resolve the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means have been unceasing.

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Diplomatic and humanitarian efforts began from the outset of the crisis in mid-April last year and have evolved over time in response to the developments of the crisis, aiming to mitigate its impact and humanitarian consequences.

Since the establishment of relations between the UAE and Sudan five decades ago, humanitarian, relief, economic, and developmental aid has been flowing continuously.

These aids flow like a river of generosity from the House of Zayed to the Nile people, reflecting the historical brotherly relations between the two countries and confirming that the UAE’s commitment to aiding Sudan is a historical commitment that began with the founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and continues today under the guidance of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.