AU Warns Against Meddling in Sudan’s Conflict as Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
By Opio Jackson
The African Union (AU) has reiterated its firm stance against external interference in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, following accusations that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been supplying weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The war, which erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s regular army and the RSF, has plunged the country into a humanitarian catastrophe. More than 13 million people have been displaced and tens of thousands killed, with no end in sight. As the violence intensifies, the AU has called for regional and international actors to refrain from fueling the crisis.
In response to Sudan severing diplomatic ties with the UAE over alleged arms transfers to the RSF, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, emphasized the organization’s principle of non-interference.
“Member states are sovereign states, and the AU Commission will not accept any interference in the internal affairs of Sudan,” he said.
“We will not support any intervention, any interference in the crisis in Sudan.”
Youssouf declined to address the UAE directly, stating that it was Sudan’s responsibility to substantiate its claims.
However, Amnesty International has backed the accusations, asserting that arms supplied by the UAE have reached RSF fighters, in direct violation of the UN arms embargo. The International Criminal Court (ICC), meanwhile, dismissed a related case filed by Sudan against the UAE, leaving questions about accountability unresolved. Abu Dhabi has rejected all allegations as “baseless.”
The AU, long involved in peacekeeping and conflict resolution across the continent, faces mounting pressure to take a more proactive role in halting Sudan’s slide into chaos. As clashes escalate, particularly with RSF drone attacks targeting Port Sudan, a key logistical and humanitarian hub, the need for coordinated continental and global action becomes urgent.
The AU’s caution reflects both its diplomatic constraints and the sobering reality on the ground. The crisis serves as a tragic reminder of the African proverb:
“When two bulls fight, it is the grass that suffers.”
It is Sudan’s civilians—trapped between government forces and a relentless militia—who bear the brunt of the violence.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently echoed these concerns, calling for an end to arms transfers and foreign interference.
“I am deeply concerned that weapons and fighters continue to flow into Sudan, allowing the conflict to persist and spread,” he said, adding that, “Those with the greatest influence on the parties must use it to better the lives of people in Sudan, not to perpetuate this disaster.”
As the situation grows more dire, the African Union’s role—as both a guardian of sovereignty and a moral voice for peace—will be tested. The people of Sudan can no longer afford a war that is being sustained not only by domestic ambitions, but also by silent complicity beyond its borders.
