UAE dismisses Sudan's decision to cut ties, refuses to recognise army-aligned leadership
The UAE accused the Port Sudan faction—one of two warring authorities in Sudan—of attempting to divert attention from efforts to end the war.
The United Arab Emirates has rejected Sudan's announcement of a diplomatic break, dismissing the legitimacy of the body that issued the decision and reaffirming its support for the Sudanese people.
On Tuesday, Sudan's Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim—speaking on behalf of the Port Sudan-based Security and Defence Council—accused the UAE of backing the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and announced severing diplomatic ties.
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The minister described Abu Dhabi's actions as a violation of Sudanese sovereignty, citing repeated drone strikes in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan.
However, the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, attends a news conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (File photo: Reuters)responded firmly on Wednesday, stating that it does not recognise the authority of the Port Sudan-based leadership.
"The United Arab Emirates has affirmed that it does not recognise the decision of the Port Sudan Authority, as the Port Sudan Authority does not represent the legitimate government of Sudan and its honourable people," the UAE said in a statement.
"The statement issued by the so-called 'Security and Defence Council' will not affect the deep-rooted and enduring ties between the UAE and the Republic of the Sudan, and their peoples," it added.
Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan gestures to soldiers inside the presidential palace after the Sudanese army said it had taken control of the building in the capital Khartoum on March 26, 2025. (Photo: Sudan Transitional Sovereignty Council/Handout via REUTERS)
The UAE accused the Port Sudan faction—one of two warring authorities in Sudan—of attempting to divert attention from efforts to end the war.
"The Ministry rejected the deplorable statements made by the Port Sudan Authority, describing them as a diversionary tactic aimed at undermining peace efforts and initiatives."
The diplomatic row comes one day after the International Court of Justice dismissed a genocide case filed by Sudan against the UAE, citing the Gulf nation's opt-out from Article 9 of the Genocide Convention. Sudan's army-aligned government responded swiftly, cutting ties in what analysts see as a retaliatory and symbolic move.
The UAE used its statement to reassert support for a future Sudan led by civilians, rather than generals.
"The Ministry underscored that Sudan and its honourable people deserve a civilian-led government, independent of military control, that prioritises the interests of the brotherly Sudanese people; a leadership that does not kill half of its population, while starving and displacing the other half."
The Emirati government also noted that Sudanese nationals living or visiting the UAE would not be affected by the rupture.
"The UAE stands in solidarity with the Sudanese people... who will not be affected by the recent decisions," the statement read, adding that the UAE remains "one of Sudan's most steadfast supporters over the past five decades."
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