Sudan: Protests in front of UAE embassy opposing fighting in Yemen

Sudanese families organised a demonstration in front of the UAE embassy in the capital, Khartoum, Sunday to protest against an Emirati company. The company is accused of sending recruits to fight in Yemen and Libya instead of hiring them for security posts in the UAE, as described in their contracts.

Anadolu Agency reported that “dozens of Sudanese citizens protested in front of the UAE embassy, ​​and held up signs, which said: “No to mercenaries”, “No to fraud”, and “No to deception”.

Recently, the UAE Black Shield Security Services stated that it is specialised in providing private security guards, and denied all allegations of deception, camouflage, misleading or forcing any of its employees concerning the nature of the company’s activities, system, location or staff.

On Friday, a Sudanese family called on the Interim government to intervene and ensure the return of their son, who has been told, along with other persons, that he would work as a security guard in the UAE. Yet, he was detained in a training camp for three months.

Al-Jazeera Mubasher quoted, Friday, Abdullah Al-Tayeb Youssef, brother of one of the Sudanese detainees in the UAE, as telling the story of dozens of Sudanese young men who were deceived into working in security guard jobs. However, to their surprise, when they arrived in the UAE, they were held in training camps for three months.

Youssef added: “My brother told me that he was trained in the UAE on heavy weapons, and was given the option to travel either to Libya or Yemen, after being offered important sums of money.” Youssef demanded the authorities to return his brother to Khartoum.

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Via Twitter, a Sudanese platform Wakeep published samples of the work contracts offered to Sudanese citizens, who were told that they would be working as security guards in the UAE, before taking away their phones.

The Sudanese family’s pledge to the interim government sparked a wave of sympathy in social media platforms, after a video of Youssef calling on the Sudanese authorities to support his family, went viral.