A parliamentary committee in the UK recently heard testimony alleging that the British government suppressed intelligence linking Ethiopia and the UAE to Sudan’s genocidal Rapid Support Forces as early as 2024, fearing backlash from the UAE. Human rights investigator Nathaniel Raymond, who tracked phone data showing handsets moving between Addis Ababa and RSF territory—some ending up at suspected UAE shell companies—said Foreign Office officials privately cited “significant pressure” from the Emiratis as the reason for their silence. Raymond argued that concerns about preserving relations with the UAE outweighed efforts to prevent atrocities in El Fasher, where tens of thousands of civilians may have been killed. If substantiated, the claims could damage the UK’s credibility as a leading voice on conflict prevention and human rights. A government minister disputed the characterization, but acknowledged that international actors are “playing games” amid the conflict’s striking lack of media attention.
The Guardian