South Sudan rejects claims UAE-built hospital supports RSF
March 11, 2025 (JUBA) – South Sudan on Tuesday denied reports that a United Arab Emirates-built hospital near the Sudanese border was supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting the Sudanese military since 2023.
South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ramadan Mohamed Abdallah Goc, told Sudan Tribune that the field hospital in Northern Bahr el Ghazal was a gift from the UAE president to strengthen bilateral relations.
“There is a reason we do not want to talk and respond to every report in the media, even though there is a lot which is being said even by the people who could be knowing the truth,” Goc said. He explained that the field hospital in Madhol Payam in Aweil East County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, was a gift from the UAE leadership.
“The field hospital in Northern Bahr el Ghazal was a gift from the president of the United Arab Emirates to recognize our existing bilateral relations,” Goc said. “It was one of the pledges made during one of the visits of his excellency, the President of the Republic, General Salva Kiir Mayardit. When it was given, it was the prerogative of His Excellency that the President decide based on the need which states should take, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal was found in dire need of medical services. This was how it went there. It was not to be used as a base against anybody.”
“Just to make it clear, South Sudan has no interest in playing a negative role in the war in Sudan,” Goc explained. “His Excellency, the president, has been advocating for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Sudan since the start of the conflict. It is what the region, the African Union, the United Nations, the Arab League, and the friends of Sudan advocates, and South Sudan has been clear about these efforts.”
The South Sudanese top diplomat further added that it is in South Sudan’s best interest to support the efforts of regional and international actors, governments, and organizations in upholding the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
His comments followed media reports quoting a Sudanese minister who expressed fears on social media that the hospital’s undeclared purpose was to stockpile RSF equipment under the cover of the United Arab Emirates Red Crescent operations.
Sudan’s Minister of Minerals, Mohamed Bashir Abunommo, posted comments on his Facebook page accusing the UAE of “interfering in Sudan’s internal affairs and participating with the militia in the aggression against the country.”
Abunommo 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.
The national Ministry of Health, in partnership with the UAE, on Friday inaugurated the Madhol Field Hospital in Aweil East County, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, some 64 kilometres (40 miles) south of the Sudanese border.
The 100-bed facility will provide emergency and intensive care, as well as specialized treatment for approximately 2 million South Sudanese, 300,000 returnees, 15,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), and 20,000 refugees from Sudan, according to the South Sudanese government. Construction of the hospital began in November 2023 and was completed in December 2023.
Annin Ngot Ngot, undersecretary of South Sudan’s National Ministry of Health, said at the inauguration ceremony that the facility would reduce the need for medical travel abroad.
“Madhol Field Hospital will greatly contribute to our goal of offering universal healthcare by bringing quality services closer to the people,” Ngot said. “I urge all stakeholders to work diligently, as the success of this hospital will reduce the costs and stress associated with seeking quality healthcare in other parts of the country or internationally.”
The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, stated that the hospital is a gift from the President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“This initiative is part of the UAE’s humanitarian efforts to support and empower brothers, friends, and those in need worldwide,” he said. “It also reflects our commitment to working with developing regions and communities to improve healthcare services.”
“As we inaugurate Madhol Field Hospital, we reaffirm the UAE’s commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of millions of people by implementing development projects here, in collaboration with international organizations, partners, and relevant authorities, to meet the needs of the community and provide essential healthcare services,” he added.
Speaking at the same function, the Governor of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, Simon Ober Mawut, expressed hope that the hospital would reduce the number of patients seeking medical care elsewhere.
“Today marks a historic day for the people of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State and the region,” Governor Mawut said. “This state-of-the-art medical facility could not have come at a better time. Our people face immense health challenges, particularly in light of the influx of refugees and returnees fleeing conflict in Sudan.”