Sudan rejects UAE hosting of UN crime congress over RSF support

September 26, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan has rejected the United Arab Emirates’ hosting of a major United Nations crime prevention conference, accusing the Gulf state of undermining international law by backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country’s top prosecutor said on Saturday.

Sudan’s military-aligned government has long accused Abu Dhabi of supplying advanced weapons and political cover to the RSF in its war with the army, which erupted in April 2023. The UAE has repeatedly denied providing military backing to the paramilitary group.

In a recorded speech to the U.N. Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Attorney General Intisar Abdel-Aal said Sudan objected to the venue on legal and moral grounds.

“Sudan does not raise this issue as a political dispute, but rather as a matter directly related to the principles of international criminal justice,” Abdel-Aal said in a statement released by her office.

She said international forums must align with the U.N. Charter, accusing the UAE of prolonging Sudan’s war and facilitating violations of international humanitarian law.

The objection marks another diplomatic clash between the two states. In November 2025, Sudan boycotted a vote in Riyadh that selected the UAE to head the U.N. Tourism agency.

The U.N. crime congress, which runs through early October in the UAE, brings together delegates from 119 countries, including dozens of justice ministers, to discuss strategies against organized and emerging crime.

Despite the disruption caused by the ongoing war, Abdel-Aal said Sudan’s judicial authorities were continuing to prosecute transnational organized crime, illicit finance, and human trafficking networks.