UAE says ‘willing’ to cooperate with Türkiye to resolve Sudan crisis
A boy holds bullet cartridges as clashes between Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army continue, in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 13, 2023. (Reuters Photo)


The United Arab Emirates welcomes Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the Sudan crisis and is willing to cooperate with Ankara in this regard, according to an Emirati Foreign Ministry statement on Saturday.

The Foreign Ministry said it "welcomed the diplomatic efforts of the brotherly Republic of Türkiye to resolve the ongoing crisis in Sudan, which also represents a priority" for the UAE.

The statement emphasized that these efforts "reflect Türkiye's steadfast commitment to promoting regional peace and stability and contributing to the strengthening of international relations."

The UAE affirmed its full readiness to cooperate and coordinate with Turkish efforts and all diplomatic initiatives to end the conflict in Sudan and find a comprehensive solution to the crisis.

The oil-rich country reiterated its "steadfast position" regarding the crisis, stressing that the primary focus remains on "reaching an immediate cease-fire and an urgent cessation of hostilities in the internal fighting in Sudan between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces."

The UAE "is working with all relevant parties, regional partners and the international community to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, stop the escalation, achieve a cease-fire and begin an intra-Sudanese dialogue that involves all political factions and the warring parties to fulfill the aspirations of the Sudanese people for development, security and prosperity," added the statement.

Moreover, the UAE stressed the importance of the warring parties' "respecting their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration, and the mechanisms proposed by the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) Group."

The declaration, issued in May 2023, following talks hosted by Saudi Arabia between the Sudanese Army and the RSF, affirmed the parties' commitment to refraining from any military actions that could harm civilians, protecting civilians and respecting international humanitarian and human rights laws.

Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between the army and the RSF since April 2023.

The fighting has resulted in more than 20,000 deaths and displaced over 14 million people, according to estimates from the U.N. and authorities.

Abu Dhabi has also been at odds with the Sudanese government, which accuses the UAE of providing military aid to the RSF and prolonging the war – a claim that the UAE has consistently denied.

Türkiye is ready to mediate tensions with the UAE, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently told Transitional Sovereignty Council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.