A concerted lobbying campaign by the United Arab Emirates successfully pressured the European Parliament to remove any mention of its involvement in the Sudan conflict from a final resolution calling for an end to the violence, according to a Politico report.
The development follows revelations that an Emirati delegation, led by envoy Lana Nusseibeh, engaged in a vigorous lobbying effort in Strasbourg this week. Their actions came in response to initial drafts of the resolution that referenced the UAE’s alleged role in supplying advanced weaponry to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Earlier, Dutch MEP Marit Maij had announced intentions to formally call on the European Commission to suspend trade negotiations with the UAE amid evidence that weapons were transiting through Emirati territory to reach the RSF. This paramilitary group stands accused of committing widespread atrocities during its siege and capture of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
Multiple investigative reports, including from Middle East Eye and Amnesty International, have documented the UAE’s use of complex supply routes through Somalia, Libya, and Chad to arm the RSF. These weapons have enabled a campaign marked by mass killings, rape, ethnic cleansing, and torture.
Despite these well-documented allegations and a formal accusation of complicity in genocide brought by the Sudanese government to the International Court of Justice, the final EU resolution passed on Thursday contained no specific references to UAE involvement. Instead, it broadly condemned the RSF’s atrocities and called for sanctions against unspecified ‘financiers and external enablers.’
The resolution’s dilution occurred after the Emirati delegation circulated communiques vehemently denying any material or political support for the RSF. During voting procedures, conservative political groups including the European People’s Party and European Conservatives and Reformists bloc rejected amendments that would have specifically outlined the UAE’s role and called for greater accountability.
The only remaining reference to the UAE was the parliament’s affirmation of a September 12 joint resolution issued by the Quad—comprising Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the United States—which called for an end to the war.
Following the vote, Envoy Nusseibeh issued a statement welcoming the resolution and affirming the UAE’s ‘unwavering commitment to support all endeavours to address this catastrophic civil war.’ This stands in stark contrast to accusations from Sudanese Armed Forces General Yasser al-Atta, who claimed that ‘this silence was bought by the power of the UAE’s money.’