Sudan orders expulsion of 15 UAE diplomats, declares them persona non grata

Sudan has declared 15 staff from the United Arab Emirates embassy persona non grata, ordering them to leave the country within 48 hours, the Sudanese state news agency SUNA said.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry summoned UAE Chargé d'Affaires Badria Alshihi and informed her of the decision to expel 15 diplomats, SUNA said on Sunday.

No reason was provided for the expulsion, but it came amid rising tensions between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi over perceived Emirati support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Last month, Yassir Alatta, a member of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council, accused the UAE of providing the paramilitary group with weapons and logistics through neighbouring countries, including Uganda, the Central African Republic and Chad.

In response, a UAE official said that from the outset of the war, the UAE had "consistently called for de-escalation, a ceasefire, and the initiation of diplomatic dialogue" in Sudan.

Months-old conflict

Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al Burhan, head of the ruling Sovereign Council, and the RSF.

The war began in mid-April. It has displaced more than 6.5 million people and triggered waves of ethnically driven killings in Darfur that have been blamed on the RSF and allied Arab militias.

The RSF has denied carrying out ethnic cleansing in Darfur.

At least 12,260 victims have been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the conflict, according to UN figures.

Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi and United States mediators have failed to end the violence.