Former UK Ambassador to Khartoum: RSF are Killers and Rapists, UAE Support Difficult to Deny

The British expert and former UK ambassador to Sudan rejected any comparison between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He emphasized that the UK should unequivocally support the Sudanese army until the rebellion is quelled, after which discussions on the return to civilian and democratic governance could take place.

Sir William Charters Patey, who served as the UK ambassador to Sudan from 2002 to 2005, spoke on Radio LBC London’s program “An Hour to Understand” about the current situation in Sudan. He stated that comparing the two sides or referring to the RSF leader as a general, as some media outlets do, is misleading. He described the ongoing conflict as a rebellion rather than a struggle between two generals.
Currently, a consultant, Sir William Patey, said that in the short term, the UK might need to support the Sudanese Armed Forces to achieve stability. “Only then can we talk about Sudanese civilian governance.”
Explaining his stance, he said:
“I believe the RSF are savage entities—killers, rapists, and war criminals. I am somewhat hesitant to say this, but I think in the short term, we might need to back the Sudanese Armed Forces to achieve some level of stability. Only then can we talk about Sudanese civilian governance. Until the RSF, with their predatory instincts, are defeated—instincts that we have seen in Darfur for over 20 years—I think Sudan’s future looks very bleak. So, we need to choose a side. I understand that some might hesitate to do so, but I think it is necessary.”
Despite repeated denials from the UAE, Sir Patey asserted that the Emirates is the primary supporter of the RSF in Sudan. He stated that while the UAE has tried to distance itself from the rebellion, the evidence and indications are too substantial to ignore.
He added that both Saudi Arabia and Egypt support the Sudanese Armed Forces because they believe that the army is the key to long-term stability in Sudan, unlike the RSF, which cannot be a stabilizing force in the country—an outcome both nations oppose.
About Radio LBC
Radio LBC (London Broadcasting Company) is a British talk radio station owned and operated by Global, based in London. It was the first licensed commercial radio station in the UK, starting its broadcast in October 1973.
About Sir William Patey
Sir William Patey is a distinguished British diplomat who represented the UK in various countries until 2012. He served as the UK Ambassador to Afghanistan (2010-2012), Saudi Arabia (2007-2010), Iraq (2005-2006), and Sudan (2002-2005). He also led the Middle East Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1999 to 2002.
Since retiring from government service in 2012, Sir Patey has become an international advisor and regular media commentator on Middle Eastern affairs. He is currently an advisor on government and international affairs for Control Risks. Until 2019, he was a non-executive director at HSBC Middle East Ltd and a senior advisor for AECOM.
Previous roles include Chair of the Financial System Vulnerabilities Committee at HMBE and a member of HSBC Holdings Ltd’s FSVC. He also served as the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Aviation Security (2015-2016).
Sir Patey is Chairman of two charities—Turquoise Mountain Foundation and the Saudi British Society. He is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Exeter and a Distinguished Fellow at New Westminster College in Vancouver. In July 2016, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Dundee.