The United Arab Emirates (UAE) released a statement on Tuesday, denying allegations by Sudan that an Emirati drone was used to attack the Khartoum airport. The airport was struck by drones launched from Ethiopia on Monday.
Sudan has repeatedly accused the UAE of supporting the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been involved in a three-year civil war with the Sudanese army, leading to one of the greatest humanitarian crisis in history.
A spokesman of the Sudanese army accused the UAE of supporting the attacks as he shared images and flight paths, alleged to be showing Emirati-owned drones launched from Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar airport and striking Sudan in March and May.
Sudanese officials warned that they were prepared to respond to the violation.
UAE has denied any involvement in the incident.
A UAE official told Reuters,”These fabrications are part of a calculated pattern of deflection – shifting blame to others to evade responsibility for their own actions – and are intended to prolong the war and obstruct a genuine peace process.”
Ethiopia has also denied the allegations.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned the attack on Tuesday, warning against any interference by Sudan’s neighbours.
U.S Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos called for the end of external support to both sides of the conflict.
The people of Sudan have been caught in the middle of a deadly conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, who clashed over plans to integrate their forces and transition to democracy. Over 15 million people have been displaced after three years of the war, with 25 million suffering from acute hunger.
After being pushed out of Khartoum last year, the RSF consolidated control of the Darfur region in the west and opened a new front through repeated drone attacks in the Blue Nile state along the Ethiopian border.
