UAE Threatens Regional Security and Maritime Safety
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that the attacks launched on the eastern Sudanese city of Port Sudan threaten the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, requiring action against the regional sponsor of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—a reference to the UAE.
Port Sudan has been subjected to drone attacks over the course of several days, targeting the seaport, the city’s airport, fuel depots, a power station, a hotel housing diplomats, and military bases.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that “these attacks threaten regional security and the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, and therefore effective action is required against the regional sponsor of the militia—the RSF.”
It stated that the regional sponsor provided the RSF with the strategic drones and weapons used in the attacks on Port Sudan, and also brought in mercenaries who operate these drones and fight within the ranks of the RSF.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Friday that it had received reports from vessels in the Red Sea region experiencing GPS disturbances near Port Sudan, affecting navigation systems.
The attacks on Port Sudan drew widespread international condemnation, including from the United Nations, the African Union, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the European Union, Egypt, and other countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had followed the condemnations of sister and friendly countries and regional and international organizations of the external aggression against Sudan through airstrikes targeting civilian facilities, airports, and ports.
It indicated that the goal of the aggression was to destroy the Sudanese state and prolong the war, after the army and its allies had reclaimed most of the territory previously controlled by the “terrorist Janjaweed militia.”
It indicated that the European Union indicated that the attacks “have an external dimension,” and it commended the position of the United States and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, which specializes in security issues in the region.
Sudan announced the severing of diplomatic relations with the UAE and designated it an aggressor state, following a long period of accusations that it provided equipment to the Rapid Support Forces. It filed a lawsuit against the UAE before the International Court of Justice, which was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. It also filed a complaint with the UN Security Council, which has not yet been decided.