UK prioritised ties with UAE over averting mass atrocities in Sudan, MPs to be told

What Happened

Nathaniel Raymond, director of Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), will testify to the UK Commons international development committee on Tuesday that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) received intelligence in May 2024 linking Ethiopia and the UAE to support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s civil war. FCDO officials told Raymond that “significant private pressure” from the UAE prevented the UK from publicly releasing this information. Raymond will also allege that after El Fasher fell to the RSF following an 18-month siege, an FCDO official contacted him to question his estimate of at least 60,000 civilian deaths, suggesting the figure was a “political problem.” The testimony includes HRL phone-tracking data from May 2024 showing handsets moving between Addis Ababa, RSF-held territory, and UAE-based facilities linked to RSF deputy commander Abdul Rahim Dagalo.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The testimony exposes potential UK complicity in the Sudan atrocities by prioritizing Gulf-state relations over atrocity prevention, undermining its credibility as UN Security Council penholder. It casts doubt on Western commitments to human rights when strategic interests are at stake and may fuel calls for accountability regarding UAE and Ethiopian roles in arming the RSF. The revelation of a possible cover-up of the El Fasher death toll raises grave concerns about international response to one of the 21st century’s largest mass-casualty events.

Watch For

The committee hearing on Tuesday will amplify pressure on the UK government to respond. Expect statements from the FCDO, UAE, and Ethiopia. The testimony may prompt renewed UN Security Council scrutiny of external support for the RSF, potential sanctions designations, or diplomatic fallout in UK-UAE relations. Monitor for further investigative reporting or legal actions related to the El Fasher massacre.