UAE proposes Ramadan ceasefire in Sudan, army rejects proposal

The UAE called yesterday for a ceasefire in Sudan during the upcoming month of Ramadan, an official has revealed, but the Sudanese army rejected the call, as the country’s civil war approaches the end of its second year.

The military considers the UAE to be an aggressor in the war and accuses it of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accusations that UN experts and US lawmakers have said are credible. The UAE denies the allegations.

The war in Sudan has caused the world’s largest humanitarian disaster, displacing more than 12 million people, pushing half the population into hunger, and intensifying the division of this impoverished country.

“As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, a time of mercy and compassion, the UAE calls on all parties to honour this sacred period with a humanitarian ceasefire,” said the UAE official.

A senior source in the Sudanese army told Reuters when asked for a comment, “We do not accept a Ramadan ceasefire until the siege is broken on all cities and areas that are besieged.”

The RSF is currently engaged in an assault on the city of Al-Fashir, the army’s last remaining stronghold in the Darfur region, as it loses ground to the army in the capital Khartoum. The paramilitary group did not respond to a request for comment.

In addition to the ceasefire, the UAE official said that his country plans to hold a summit on Friday in Addis Ababa in cooperation with the African Union to obtain funding for humanitarian efforts in Sudan, adding that it will announce $200 million in such funding.

On Monday, the Sudanese government rejected the idea of the summit, with Malik Agar, deputy head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, saying it signified “a crime and aggression against an African nation seeking to protect its land and sovereignty,” given the UAE’s alleged complicity in the war.

“Unfortunately, the Sudanese army has sought to distort the role of the UAE by falsifying facts. These allegations will not divert the UAE’s attention from its primary objective, which is aimed at promoting stability,” added the UAE official.

READ: Thousands flee North Darfur following attack blamed on RSF