Sudan accuses South Sudan of allowing UAE ‘aggression base’
March 8, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s Minister of Minerals, Mohamed Bashir Abunommo, accused South Sudan on Saturday of allowing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to establish an “aggression base” under the guise of a field hospital in Eastern Aweil.
The UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, inaugurated the Madhol Field Hospital on Friday in Aweil East County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, approximately 64 kilometres south of the Sudanese border.
The 100-bed hospital includes specialized clinics to serve about two million people, including the host community, South Sudanese returning from Sudan, and Sudanese refugees in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.
In a Facebook post, Abunommo questioned the UAE’s motives for building the hospital in the border region, citing a similar facility in Chad allegedly used to treat Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters and store weapons.
“The main undeclared purpose is to stockpile the militia with military equipment under the cover of the UAE Red Crescent operations,” Abunommo wrote, accusing the UAE of “interfering in Sudan’s internal affairs and participating with the militia in the aggression against the country.”
He also accused South Sudan of ignoring the recruitment of its citizens to fight for the RSF and facilitating the smuggling of Sudanese gold to the UAE through its airports.
Abunommo criticized statements by South Sudan’s Vice President Taban Deng Gai, saying the government’s response was “insufficient.” He praised Colombia’s efforts to prevent its citizens from fighting in Sudan.
Gai sparked controversy in December by questioning the legitimacy of Sudan’s military government during a meeting of state governors in Juba.
Abunommo warned that allowing the UAE to establish an “aggression base” in South Sudan would “ignite new fires” on their shared border.
South Sudan’s government did not immediately comment.
At the hospital’s inauguration, Shakhboot said it was the third UAE-built healthcare facility to serve Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries, recalling similar hospitals in Amdjarass and Abeche, Chad.
“Since its founding, humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians, particularly the sick, children, the elderly, and women, have served as the foundation of the UAE’s policy,” Shakhboot said. “The country’s primary focus remains on addressing the catastrophic humanitarian situation and adopting an approach prioritizing civilians’ requirements and fulfilling their needs.”
He reiterated the UAE’s commitment to supporting efforts to address the crisis and working with regional and international partners to achieve stability and peace in Sudan.
“The UAE announced an additional USD 200 million in aid during the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for the People of Sudan in Addis Ababa,” Shakhboot said. “Since the onset of the crisis, the UAE has provided more than USD 600 million to support a humanitarian response.”