Al-Atta accuses UAE of planning to make Sudan a ‘centre of conflict’ to acquire resources
November 10, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – A senior Sudanese general, Yasir al-Atta, on Sunday accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of planning to make Sudan a “centre of conflict” in Africa to acquire its resources, renewing claims that Abu Dhabi finances the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Al-Atta’s comments follow Sudan’s decision to declare the UAE an “aggressor state” and sever diplomatic relations, citing its alleged support for the RSF, which has been fighting the army for more than two years.
In a speech to soldiers at the Armoured Corps headquarters in Khartoum, al-Atta, a member of the Sovereign Council, said the UAE “has waged war on Sudan since April 2023.”
He alleged the goal was to “expel the Sudanese from their lands and plunder their wealth,” claiming the “Emirati plan” began in 2017 to control power in Sudan and extended to parts of Libya, Chad, South Sudan, and Niger.
“This plan aims to make Sudan a centre of chaos, conflict, and terrorism on the African continent, allowing the UAE to benefit from the continent’s resources,” al-Atta said.
The general accused Emirati leaders, including President Mohammed bin Zayed, of financing mercenaries, buying weapons, and using “Emirati money and bribes” to influence international organizations and buy the loyalty of other state leaders.
Al-Atta vowed the armed forces were ready for the next battle and would defeat the RSF, often referred to as the “Janjaweed,” and expel them from the Kordofan and Darfur regions.
“We will defeat them and expel them from Kordofan and Darfur with our faith in God and our capabilities,” he said. “We are not warmongers… but we know the true path to peace so that this war may be the last of Sudan’s sorrows.”
He said the atrocities in El Fasher, including ethnically based killings and forced displacement, had shocked an international community that he claimed had previously “overlooked what was happening.”
Al-Atta criticized international organizations for delivering humanitarian aid only after the fall of El Fasher. “They are hypocrites and liars,” he said, claiming the “shameful” actions committed there “did not move them at all.”