06-08-2025
Tensions rise as Sudan accuses the UAE of banning its planes from its airspace
The incident was relayed on Wednesday by the Sudanese state news agency, which described it as the most recent event in an expanding diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
Travel plans for Sudanese citizens were further disrupted when the country disclosed that a Sudanese airplane was barred from taking off from Abu Dhabi airport in addition to the landing prohibition.
As reported by Reuters, the decision shocked the Civil Aviation Authority, which also stated that it was actively working with airlines to reschedule passenger bookings involving the United Arab Emirates.
Abu Dhabi officials have yet to provide a public reaction to Sudan's remarks.
This diplomatic disagreement comes months after Sudan broke relations with the UAE in May 2025, accusing the Gulf nation of providing modern equipment to Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during its protracted civil war.
Sudan's transitional council has been particularly vocal in its criticism, branding the UAE an 'aggressor state' and vowing to respond to its alleged interference 'by every means to preserve the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.'
Rift between Sudan and UAE and a heated UN confrontation
The Sudanese army has long accused the UAE of assisting the RSF, and in April 2025, those allegations looked to become stronger.
During the same month, UAE state media reported that authorities had thwarted an attempt by Sudanese military leaders and associates to smuggle ammunition to Sudan's army illegally.
According to the WAM news agency, security services discovered roughly five million rounds of ammunition aboard a private aircraft at an unspecified airport and subsequently made several arrests.
Sudan has also accused the UAE of supplying the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a prominent paramilitary force in Sudan, with sophisticated and strategic weaponry, which has significantly escalated the two-year-old battle.
The UAE has repeatedly denied that it armed or supported any group in Sudan's civil war.
The matter was brought to the forefront of global discussions in June 2024, during a heated debate at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Sudan's ambassador to the UN, Al-Harith Mohamed, accused the UAE of stoking the conflict by sending guns to the RSF.
He noted that UAE-backed fighters were responsible for widespread devastation and civilian fatalities.
The ambassador also claimed to have proof and stated Sudan's plan to deliver a report on the UAE's acts to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
