A "secret" meeting brings together the UAE with the "Rapid Support" in Britain
British media revealed that London is hosting an "unannounced" diplomatic meeting on the future of Sudan, with the participation of representatives of the political wing of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the United Arab Emirates, in a move that has raised objections from the Sudanese government, which said it does not have "much confidence" in what London is doing away from the public.
According to the Middle East Eye, Nasreddin Abdel Bari, one of the leaders of the Tas'id alliance linked to the political wing of the Rapid Support Forces, will participate in a conference organized by the British government's Wilton Park Foundation, along with an Emirati delegation, in a meeting that will last from Wednesday to Friday.
The Sudanese military-backed government did not invite the meeting, which British officials described as an "unannounced meeting," while the British Foreign Office did not provide clarification on the list of participants or the nature of the discussions.
The meeting comes at a time when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting a war against the Sudanese army since April 2023, amid widespread accusations by the paramilitary forces of committing violations against civilians, including accusations of committing crimes that amount to genocide in Darfur, according to UN and US reports.
Sudanese government anger
An adviser to the military-backed Transitional Sovereignty Council, Amjad Farid al-Tayeb, criticised Britain's hosting of figures linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), saying the move contradicted previous British statements about abuses committed in Sudan.
He said that during the past period, London has issued positions condemning what it described as the crimes of the Rapid Support, especially during the attack on the city of El Fasher in North Darfur state, but at the same time "invited figures associated with the Rapid Support to Britain to discuss the future of Sudan."
"Anything that needs to be undeclared hides something that makes it necessary to keep it out of sight," he said, adding that Khartoum "doesn't have much confidence in what the British government is trying to do out of the open."
Farid al-Tayeb accused London of following a pattern of contradictory dealing, saying that the British government "talks about the possibility of the RSF committing genocide, and then hosts its leaders to discuss the future of the country."
The UAE is present despite the denials
The presence of representatives of the UAE at the meeting comes amid continuing accusations against Abu Dhabi of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accusations the UAE has repeatedly denied.
Middle East Eye noted that the RSF has received widespread accusations of abuses in Darfur, while the United Nations and the United States say the crimes committed there have "genocidal features."
On the other hand, Turkey and Egypt support the Sudanese army, according to the newspaper, and international and American reports have spoken during the past period about the existence of evidence of weapons and equipment reaching the Rapid Support Forces, while Abu Dhabi has denied any direct military support for them.
Why meet away from the public?
The meeting is taking place at the Wilton Park Foundation in West Sussex, a British government foundation that says it facilitates international political dialogues.
However, the newspaper pointed out that the Sudanese meeting was not included in the events announced on the foundation's website, although the majority of its meetings are announced in advance.
It quoted a source in the British Foreign Office as saying that "everyone is going" to the meeting, referring to the participation of regional and international parties, while an employee at Wilton Park confirmed that the meeting had taken place.
Criticism over Britain's relationship with the UAE
The newspaper linked the criticism directed at London to its economic relations with the UAE, noting that the value of British arms exports to Abu Dhabi over the past three years amounted to about £422 million.
It quoted experts as saying that British-made military equipment has appeared on the battlefields in Sudan, which increases the debate over the nature of the relationship between London and Abu Dhabi in light of the ongoing war.
An expert involved in Sudan's mediation efforts for years said the exclusion of key Sudanese figures from the meeting was "shocking", adding that there were people who had been involved in the Sudanese file for years and had not been invited or even informed of the meeting.
Sudan's future on the London table
The meeting comes days after Ed Miliband was appointed British Foreign Secretary, at a time when Britain is facing several international files, including the war in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, and Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.
Although Sudan is not a top priority in British foreign policy, some diplomats hope that Miliband will take a tougher stance on the UAE over its role in the Sudanese war.
The war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with large numbers of civilians killed and more than 14 million displaced since it began.