UAE condemns deadly attacks on refugee camps in Sudan

Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces take control of famine-threatened Zamzam camp

People who fled the Zamzam camp for the internally displaced after it fell under RSF control, queue for food rations in a makeshift encampment in an open field near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region. AFPShow less

The UAE on Sunday condemned attacks on two refugee camps in Sudan, where scores of people are feared to have died in another spate of violence during the country's civil war.

The UAE's Foreign Ministry also denounced attacks on aid workers caught up in the bloodshed near North Darfur. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have seized control of a camp. Unicef said there were reports of dozens of civilians, including at least 23 children, being killed in the area in recent days.

The RSF said on Sunday that they had taken over the Zamzam camp, one of the sites where heavy shelling and gunfire had been reported. It claimed they had posted armed men to “secure civilians and humanitarian medical workers in Zamzam”.

Along with Abu Shouk, Zamzam has had to deal with famine as both camps provide temporary shelter to almost three quarters of a million people. Fighting has been raging between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF for nearly two years.

The UAE said it “strongly condemned and denounced” the attacks on the camps, which it said had caused hundreds of casualties in a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law”. It called on those involved to take “immediate steps to protect civilians” and allow aid to reach them by “all available means”.

Relief personnel

The Foreign Ministry “strongly condemned all acts of violence against humanitarian workers who dedicate their lives to serving those in need”, it said. It described attacking them as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, which ensures the protection of medical, relief and rescue personnel”.

Five areas in North Darfur are believed to be in a state of famine, leaving about 150,000 children exposed to an acute lack of food, according to Unicef, which did not attribute responsibility for the violence. It said “grave violations” against children have surged since the start of the year.

Access to the Zamzam camp is blocked, armed groups have been attacking rural villages, and it has become nearly impossible to deliver aid and commercial goods, said Unicef's executive director Catherine Russell.

The SAF have accused the Emirates of arming their paramilitary rivals, an accusation the UAE rejected as baseless during hearings at the International Court of Justice last week. The UAE told the court it wanted accountability for both sides in the conflict.

“The ministry underscored the UAE’s steadfast and unwavering dedication to reinforce all efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful solution to the continuing conflict in Sudan, highlighting the importance of an immediate ceasefire,” it said on Sunday. “The UAE remains committed to supporting all endeavours to address this catastrophic crisis and to work alongside regional and international partners to ensure stability and peace for the people of Sudan.”