Sudan Embarrasses UAE Candidate for UN Secretary-General with Questions on UN’s Independence and Impartiality

New York – Sudanhorizon

Sudanese diplomat Dr. Ammar Mohamed Mahmoud, Minister Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Mission of Sudan to the United Nations in New York,has confronted the UAE candidate for UN Secretary-General, Lana Nusseibeh, with direct questions about her independence and impartiality, in light of accusations against her government that assist the Rapid Support Forces militia, implicated in committing widespread atrocities against civilians in Sudan.

This occurred during the interactive dialogue session held by the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to hear the UAE candidate’s vision for leading the international organization.

Mahmoud began his remarks by emphasizing that the Secretary-General’s independence, integrity, and credibility are fundamental pillars of UN leadership, especially when the lives of millions of civilians depend on the organization’s commitment to international law and the principles of accountability.

The Sudanese diplomat explained that he had intended to ask the nominee three questions, but dropped one after a representative from the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights raised a similar question regarding the findings of UN investigations into the UAE’s role in arming the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. These findings had been repeatedly denied by Nusseibeh during her tenure as her country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

The center’s representative questioned how to ensure that the nominee would not continue to deny the findings of investigations by the international organization she aspires to lead, given the potential for conflict of interest.

In his first question, Mahmoud focused on Nusseibeh’s willingness to demonstrate her independence from her country’s government by supporting an independent international investigation into allegations that the UAE supplied the RSF with weapons and equipment used to commit crimes and atrocities against Sudanese civilians, some of which amount to genocide. He specifically highlighted the mass rapes and sexual violence perpetrated against Sudanese women and girls, pointing out the irony of these violations occurring amidst ongoing discussions about selecting a woman to lead the United Nations.

The second question focused on the moral legitimacy of the Secretary-General’s position. Mahmoud questioned how Sudanese victims and survivors could be convinced to trust the independence and impartiality of a prominent figure associated with a government accused of supporting those responsible for crimes committed against them. He emphasized that the UN Secretary-General must enjoy the trust of victims of conflict and violations, not just the trust of governments, as moral credibility is a prerequisite for the organization’s success in fulfilling its mission.

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