Sakharov Prize winner urges EU to halt UAE trade talks over Sudan war

While the European Parliament frequently issues resolutions condemning the slaughter in Sudan, the European Union is concurrently pursuing a trade agreement with the UAE. Investigative reports, human rights groups, and UN experts have documented evidence that the UAE is fueling the conflict by arming and logistically supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Critics point to findings that foreign mercenaries are trained with Emirati weapons before deploying to Sudanese conflict zones, a reality that renders symbolic parliamentary condemnations ineffective against ongoing violence.

The human cost of this diplomatic disconnect is evident in cities like El-Fasher, which endured an 18-month siege while the international community issued statements but failed to intervene. With the UN Human Rights Council now investigating escalating violence in El-Obeid, the lack of accountability for external actors remains a central point of contention. Demanding that the EU align its trade policy with its human rights commitments, the laureate argues that the bloc must leverage its veto power over trade deals to force a change in Abu Dhabi’s conduct. Without a verifiable end to the UAE’s involvement in the civil war, the author contends that the EU risks complicity in the very atrocities its awards seek to honor.