Wednesday October 2, 2024
FILE - Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Abshir Omar Jama, during a press briefing in Mogadishu.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation strongly condemned the attack on the residence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador in Khartoum, calling it a violation of international law and a serious breach of diplomatic norms.
In a statement, the ministry urged all nations to uphold the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which guarantees the safety and sanctity of diplomatic missions. Somalia emphasized the need for international laws to be respected to maintain the security and dignity of embassies, especially in conflict zones like Sudan.
On Monday, the UAE reported that a Sudanese military aircraft targeted the ambassador's residence in Khartoum, causing significant damage. The UAE Foreign Ministry condemned the incident as a "heinous attack" and demanded accountability from the Sudanese military. The UAE plans to raise formal complaints with the United Nations, the African Union, and the League of Arab States, further escalating the diplomatic implications of the attack.
The Sudanese military, however, denied responsibility, swiftly pointing the finger at the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack. The military accused the RSF of carrying out "cowardly acts" and stated that it does not target diplomatic missions or humanitarian organizations. The denial came amid a broader accusation by Sudan's military that the UAE has been quietly fueling the RSF's war machine with arms and support—allegations the Emiratis dismiss as fiction.
Sudan's descent into misrule began in April 2023, when a simmering power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into full-scale war, plunging the country into chaos. Tens of thousands have been killed, and millions displaced as entire communities have been uprooted. The humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate. The United Nations estimates that nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan's population, now require humanitarian aid, while over 8 million have fled their homes. With famine on the horizon and millions of civilians displaced, the international community is grappling with how to address the escalating violence.
Accusations that the UAE is arming the RSF have only added fuel to the fire. U.N. sanctions monitors have deemed these allegations credible, pointing to evidence of arms transfers through Chad. The Sudanese military has consistently pointed to the UAE's alleged support as a factor in prolonging the conflict, despite the UAE's insistence that it is committed to de-escalation and humanitarian assistance.
The UAE's decision to escalate the matter to international bodies such as the U.N. and the African Union signals the risk of deepening tensions between Sudan's military government and Gulf states.