UAE expels three Sudanese diplomats amid escalating tensions

 December 9, 2023 (PORT SUDAN) – A Sudanese official source has confirmed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially declared three Sudanese diplomats persona non grata and demanded their immediate departure from the country within 48 hours.

This diplomatic development follows a series of scathing remarks made by Sudanese Assistant Commander-in-Chief, Lt Gen Yasir al-Atta, criticizing the UAE’s alleged support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Al-Atta’s comments, delivered during a speech at a military headquarters on November 27, labelled the UAE as a “mafia state.”

In response to this diplomatic salvo, the UAE informed Sudanese Ambassador Abdel Rahman Sharafi that the three diplomats Military attaché and his deputy – Brig Gen Ahmed Abdel Rahman al-Bashir, Lt Col Mudathir Osman, and the Cultural Attaché Mohamed al-Dhai– were unwelcome and had to leave UAE territory forthwith.

This action marks a significant escalation in the diplomatic relations between the two countries, as no diplomats have been expelled or summoned in their entire history of bilateral ties.

Previously, the UAE had been accused by foreign media of providing material and financial support to the RSF in its ongoing conflict with the Sudanese military. However, UAE authorities have consistently denied these allegations.

Western diplomats have observed that Dubai has maintained this denial stance even in official meetings while reiterating its support for dialogue as a means to resolve the conflict.

This latest diplomatic move suggests that the UAE is taking a more assertive stance in response to Al-Atta’s provocative statements.

(ST)