Sudan protecting Africa from foreign interference in war with RSF, says FM

Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem has said his government is protecting Africa from external plots by confronting foreign interference in his country’s brutal civil war, deep into its third year, as he called on the African Union (AU) for support in its efforts to stabilise the country.

In an interview with Al Jazeera in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of the AU’s Peace and Security Council, Salem said the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary was a battle against external intervention.

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“The war currently being fought in Sudan is a war against foreign interference. It involves a large number of mercenaries and significant external intervention through funding and advanced weaponry,” he said.

“Therefore, in Sudan, we are protecting Africa’s back by confronting this conspiracy. What is happening in Sudan is not only targeting our country, but the entire continent.”

He said the AU, through its Peace and Security Council, was “deeply concerned and must join hands with the government of Sudan so that we can move towards sustainable stability in Sudan”.

Ending the suspension of Sudan’s membership in the AU, in place for more than four years, would benefit Africa, he added.

The AU suspended Sudan’s membership in October 2021 after the country’s military-led Transitional Sovereignty Council sacked the government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and declared a state of emergency.

Sudan alleges UAE interference

Sudan has repeatedly accused the United Arab Emirates of arming and funding the RSF.

Last year, it filed a case against the UAE at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of “complicity in genocide” committed by the RSF against the Masalit community in West Darfur state. The UAE has vehemently denied the allegations.

The UAE has also rejected new allegations in a Reuters news agency report that it financed and supported a training camp in Ethiopia for the RSF.

A senior UAE official told The National on Thursday that the Emirates “categorically rejects” claims that it provided weapons, funding, trainers or logistical support to the RSF, reiterating that it is “not a party” to Sudan’s conflict and is focused on humanitarian aid and ceasefire efforts.

“The UAE categorically rejects allegations that it has provided, financed, transported or facilitated any weapons, ammunition, drones, vehicles, guided munitions or other military equipment to the RSF, whether directly or indirectly,” said the official.

In a statement on Saturday, Saudi Arabia, a key backer of Sudan’s government, condemned “foreign interference” in the conflict, including the “continued influx of illegal weapons, mercenaries and foreign fighters”. The statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not name the alleged foreign actors.

Salem addresses AU meeting

Salem made the comments as the AU’s Peace and Security Council met in Addis Ababa, addressing issues such as the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has killed an estimated 40,000 people and pushed more than 21 million – almost half of the population – into acute food shortages.

Before the meeting, the bloc appeared to be moving towards lifting Sudan’s suspension by inviting Salem to the session, the first time a representative of a suspended member state had been allowed to attend.

Addressing the meeting, Salem renewed his call to reinstate his government’s membership, saying the conflict in Sudan had reached its end and stressing efforts towards peace in the country, Anadolu reported.

“War is not our goal and we will continue to seek peace,” he said, accusing unnamed foreign actors of spurring the conflict.

AU condemns foreign interference

While the council did not reinstate Sudan’s membership, it issued a statement strongly condemning external interference in Sudan’s affairs, and urging foreign actors to refrain from “actions that will continue to fuel conflict”.

The statement expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflict, citing widespread civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure and a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Last week, United Nations-backed experts warned that acute malnutrition had reached famine levels in two more areas of western Sudan’s Darfur region, in the wake of fierce fighting in the area.

The council condemned violations against civilians, demanded unhindered humanitarian access and protection for aid workers, and urged an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire.

In comments noted by the Sudan Tribune that could herald a potential shift in the diplomatic landscape, the council also welcomed the return of Sudan’s transitional government to the capital, Khartoum, last month, after nearly three years of operating from its wartime base in the eastern city of Port Sudan.