Sudanese diaspora and human rights groups denounce UAE nominee for UN top job

Nusseibeh disse que havia tirado licença de seu cargo ministerial nos Emirados Árabes Unidos para estar “ciente das obrigações de independência” que o papel na ONU implicaria.

Photograph: David Dee Delgado/ReutersView image in fullscreenNusseibeh said she had taken a leave of absence from her ministerial post in the UAE to be ‘mindful of the obligations of independence’ the UN role would entail.

Fotografia: David Dee Delgado/Reuters. Na ONU, a diáspora sudanesa e grupos de direitos humanos denunciam o candidato dos Emirados Árabes Unidos à principal vaga da ONU.

Críticos citam a negação de Lana Nusseibeh das acusações de que os Emirados Árabes Unidos estão alimentando a guerra no Sudão ao apoiar a RSF paramilitar.

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleMembers of the Sudanese diaspora and international human rights monitors have denounced the candidature of an Emirati diplomat for the top job at the UN, citing her denial of accusations that the United Arab Emirates is fuelling the war in Sudan by supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The UAE nominated Lana Nusseibeh last week to replace the UN secretary general, António Guterres, as he finishes his second five-year term ⁠this year, upending a race that had become gridlocked.

Rights groups and others have for years documented evidence of UAE support for the RSF, which has been accused of atrocities during the course of its war against the Sudanese army, including an attack on the city of El Fasher in October 2025 that the UN said had “hallmarks of genocide”.

Nusseibeh, the UAE’s representative to the UN until 2024, has repeatedly reflected the UAE’s blanket denials of the accusations.

A ativista sudanesa pró‑democracia e pelos direitos das mulheres Hala al‑Karib, diretora regional da Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, afirmou que Nusseibeh “não tem histórico de agir independentemente do papel de seu país no Sudão” e que a aprovação pelo Conselho de Segurança “essencialmente [para] uma negação dos atos genocidas cometidos em El Fasher pela RSF”.

There was also strong criticism of Nusseibeh’s candidature at a virtual briefing by the Avaaz human rights advocacy group on Tuesday.

Ibrahim Alduma, who grew up in El Fasher and is the co-founder of the human rights organisation Sudan Action Hub, told the briefing that success for Nusseibeh would result in people losing faith in the UN.

Husam Mahjoub, advogado sudanês e cofundador da mídia independente Sudan Bukra TV, disse: “Eleger o diplomata sênior dos Emirados Árabes Unidos como secretário-geral entregaria a liderança das instituições (UN) ao principal defensor do governo, justamente no momento em que os civis sudaneses mais precisam da UN para responsabilizar os estados poderosos.”.

Kenneth Roth, a former executive director of Human Rights Watch, told the briefing: “She has been asked about the UAE’s role in arming and supporting the RSF, and she just blatantly denies it without regard to the facts.

That is not what we need as UN secretary-general.”.

On Wednesday, Bruno Stagno Ugarte, the chief advocacy officer at Human Rights Watch, said Nusseibeh’s dismissal of UN reports documenting the UAE’s links to the RSF had “seriously undermined justice and accountability for the victims”.

In a statement on Tuesday Nusseibeh said that if she got the top UN job she would support the work of UN fact-finding missions for accountability and transitional justice over the war in Sudan, and described the RSF’s crimes as “atrocious”.

Ela acrescentou que havia tirado licença do seu cargo ministerial no governo dos Emirados Árabes Unidos (UAE) para estar “mindful of the obligations of independence” que o papel da ONU implicaria, acrescentando que “the horrific conflict in Sudan will be the litmus test of the success of an incoming secretary general”.

To become the next UN security general, a candidate must secure a minimum of nine affirmative votes out of the 15 security council members, and avoid a veto from the US, the UK, China, France or Russia, its permanent members.

An ​informal security council poll earlier his month had ‌placed the former Costa Rican vice-president ​Rebeca Grynspan as the narrow frontrunner in ​the race. But she and all other candidates received two or more opposing votes from the permanent council members.

The next straw poll could take place as soon as Friday, but the format and exact timing are still being negotiated by the diplomats.

Na coletiva de terça-feira, Roth disse: “É justo dizer que o RSF não teria sido quase tão bem-sucedido militarmente quanto foi e tem sido sem esse apoio dos Emirados Árabes Unidos.”.

And with that support, it didn’t just fight the Sudan armed forces. This wasn’t just a civil war. It committed mass atrocities.”.

He added: “It amazes me that she’s being put forward. This is a completely unsuitable candidate.”.

Kate Ferguson, co-founder and co-executive director of Protection Approaches, a charity working to prevent identity-based violence, said at the briefing: “There is not, as far as I have seen, sufficient evidence that this candidate is independent from the state from which she comes.

E não devemos ser ingênuos nem nos esconder atrás da pretensão de ingenuidade.

Additional reporting by Kaamil Ahmed.