Sudan military destroyed UAE plane carrying Colombian mercenaries: State TV
Al JazeeraAUG 10
UAE Bans Sudanese Flights Amid Mercenary Allegations
Above: Smoke billows during air strikes in central Khartoum as the Sudanese army attacks positions held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) throughout the Sudanese capital on Sept. 26, 2024. Image copyright: AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Sudan's claims about the UAE funding mercenaries appear credible given mounting evidence from U.N. experts, other international organizations documenting Emirati arms shipments to the RSF, and the now-launched Colombian investigation. Therefore, the flight ban constitutes an unjustified retaliation by a nation that has repeatedly violated international law by arming paramilitary forces and prolonging a devastating civil war.
Narrative B
The UAE's denial of mercenary allegations is entirely reasonable given that the Sudanese military has a clear interest in fabricating stories that distract from its own failures in the civil war. Given that international investigations have not produced any relevant evidence against the UAE, these unfounded accusations represent nothing more than a desperate propaganda tactic by a losing faction trying to internationalize an internal conflict.
Establishment-critical narrative
To end the devastating civil war, Washington needs to increase pressure on the UAE, Egypt, and the Saudis and, for example, stop supplying weapons to the Emirates. From a strategic perspective, Washington should also leverage its influence to prevent the Red Sea region from being left to actors such as Iran, China, or Russia. As long as Washington fails to exert any real pressure, it is complicit in the intolerable suffering.