Sudan must not be 'safe haven' for terrorism, UAE warns

Minister Lana Nusseibeh says Quad should reiterate that it is 'unacceptable' that warring parties have weaponised her country's role

Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the EU, right, says Sudan must not become a haven for terrorism as she urges an immediate truce. Mohamad Ali Harisi / The NationalShow less

The UAE warned on Thursday that Sudan must not become a safe haven for terrorist groups and said it will work to brief its European Union partners on mediation efforts.

Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh said that the Quad group – which also includes Saudi Arabia, the US and Egypt – should reiterate that it is “unacceptable” that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have weaponised her country's role.

“I think it's important that the Quad also reiterates that it is unacceptable that both warring parties have weaponised the UAE as a country when so many people are in desperate need of humanitarian aid,” she stated.

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The Minister of State was speaking during a press briefing with the bloc's Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, in Abu Dhabi.

Ms Nusseibeh stressed that peace efforts should ensure that “Sudan doesn't become a safe haven for the kind of global terror attacks and violent groups that shattered international stability in the 1990s”.

She added that the European Parliament's recent resolution on Sudan's ceasefire was “timely”, in support of mediation efforts in the country, and that the UAE will keep briefing the EU about mediation efforts.

The Minister of State mentioned “breakthroughs” the Quad had achieved. “As a diplomat by nature, I try to be a little bit optimistic about mediation efforts, and I don't think the people of Sudan have any time left,” she said. “This war must stop now. The UAE is fully committed that this war is stopping now.”

The Quad has tabled peace proposals. They envisage an initial three-month humanitarian truce followed by a longer one and a political process to determine the country's future.

“But we need the two warring parties to also understand that it is time to stop. It is good that the RSF declared a unilateral ceasefire, but for a ceasefire to hold or a truce to hold, you need both parties to commit to that. And that is the point of the Quad effort at this present time,” Ms Nusseibeh said.

The SAF had rejected a US ceasefire proposal. Washington has repeatedly called on both warring parties to accept the framework.

The war in Sudan is rooted in a rivalry between the RSF's Gen Mohamed Dagalo and army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, Sudan's de facto leader. Tens of thousands have been killed in the war which has caused the world's largest displacement crisis, with more than 13 million people forced to leave their homes.

The UAE has provided $784 million in aid to the Sudanese people since the civil war broke out, making the country its second-largest donor after the US. The total value of aid provided by the UAE to the Sudanese people between 2015 and 2025 has exceeded $4.24 billion.

“We are committed to the people of Sudan. We are committed to a humanitarian truce being achieved immediately in Sudan and a ceasefire. And our EU partners are helping and supporting, and we thank them for that,” Ms Nusseibeh said.