A senior Emirati official said on Sunday that the international community made a “critical mistake” by failing to stop Sudan’s 2021 military takeover, saying countries “stopped short of calling it a coup” in the hope of stabilising Sudan after years of American sanctions.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said the decision not to act more decisively when Sudan’s generals ousted the civilian government paved the way for the devastating civil war that later erupted between rival military factions.
The war in Sudan, which is midway through its third year, has killed tens of thousands and displaced at least 13 million people. About 30 million – more than half the population – are facing hunger, with famine declared in some areas, mainly in Darfur.
The fighting began in April 2023 when tension between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen Mohamed Dagalo, erupted into open conflict. What began as a power struggle between the two former allies – who jointly staged the coup in 2021 – has spiralled into one of the world’s worst humanitarian and displacement crises.
“We all made the mistake when the two generals who are fighting the civil war today overthrew the civilian government,” said Dr Gargash at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. “That was, in my opinion, looking back, a critical mistake. We should have put our foot down, all of us, collectively.
“What happened later is that the relationship of the two generals deteriorated and led Sudan to the current civil war that we are seeing today,” he said, adding that the UAE’s position is very clear.
In September, at the invitation of America, the foreign ministers of the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt – a group known as the Quad – joined Washington to engage in extensive consultations on the war. A new peace proposal called for an initial three-month truce followed by a return to civilian rule in which the Muslim Brotherhood is kept out of power.
Within that framework, Dr Gargash said, the plan envisions a three-month humanitarian ceasefire to pave the way for political dialogue and, within nine months, the formation of a transitional civilian government.
“Let's take all the fog away and see, are the generals willing to hand over power to a civilian transition? That is really the crux of the question,” he added.
This week, the UN Security Council condemned an assault by the RSF on the city of El Fasher in North Darfur, warning of a “heightened risk of large-scale atrocities, including ethnically motivated atrocities”.
The RSF’s takeover of El Fasher has led to widespread concern as reports and footage of attacks against civilians have emerged. Gen Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary group, acknowledged in a video broadcast that his men committed “abuses”.
Dr Gargash said the UAE is doubling down on its humanitarian support for Sudan. “We're doing it through our hospitals in Chad and in South Sudan,” he said.
“The sooner that unhindered humanitarian avenues will be open also to support people in Sudan, not only in El Fasher, but other areas, you will see much more support not only from the UAE, but from many countries.”
Dr Gargash said this will be done through the Red Crescent and international organisations.
Ties with Iran
On Iran, Dr Gargash said there is little value in revisiting the past, except to take a clear-eyed view of Tehran’s policies.
“Iran is a neighbour. We want to resolve all issues politically and have a great relationship. But … we can't ignore, for example, that Qatar, which is part of how we see security, was attacked by both Iran and Israel in a few weeks.”
Qatar was attacked twice this year. During the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, Tehran struck Al Udeid Air Base in retaliation for US air strikes on its underground nuclear sites. The base hosts American military personnel. Qatar was also attacked by Israel in September.
“While we are striving for a relationship that is diplomatic and that is political and to resolve issues rightly, we have to call a spade a spade. And that policy of considering regional influence and regional encroachment as part of the defence of Iran has failed. I think it's time really to revise and review that policy.”
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
