Over The Past Two Years, The Recent Conflict In Sudan Has Claimed The Lives Of At Least 150,000 People. Now, The Human Rights Organization “FairSquare” Has Directed Demands To The British Foreign Office To Consider Imposing Sanctions And Conducting An Investigation Into The Role Of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed (Owner Of Manchester City And Vice President Of The UAE), Regarding Allegations Of His Government’s Support For The “Rapid Support Forces” Accused Of Committing War Crimes. This Comes After Statements By Iain Duncan Smith, Former Leader Of The Conservative Party, In Parliament That Mansour Is The “Most Prominent Emirati Investor In Britain,” Demanding A Comprehensive Assessment Of Sanctions Criteria.
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International Bodies Such As The European Union And The United Nations Have Issued Statements Regarding The UAE’s Role In Arming The Rapid Support Forces, Which Abu Dhabi Strongly Denies. In Contrast, The British Government Has Already Imposed Sanctions On Individuals And Entities Linked To The Atrocities That The UN Described As Bearing “Hallmarks Of Genocide,” With Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper Vowing To Dismantle The “War Machine.” Potential Sanctions Include Asset Freezes And Bans On Commercial Dealings, Which Are The Same Measures That Previously Forced Roman Abramovich To Sell Chelsea Club.
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The “FairSquare” Organization Believes That Sheikh Mansour Represents A “Clear Pressure Point” To Stop The Conflict. This Was Evident Last November When The Vicinity Of The “Etihad” Stadium Witnessed Protests And Posters Were Raised Demanding An End To The Funding Of The Militia. Historically, The Conflict Revolves Around The Sudanese Armed Forces And The Rapid Support Forces Led By “Hemedti,” Who Is Linked To Genocide Crimes In Darfur, Controls Gold Mines, And Owns Companies Registered In The UAE, Some Of Which Have Been Subjected To US Sanctions.
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“Hemedti’s” Forces Have Been Linked To The Most Heinous Atrocities, Such As Ethnic Cleansing And Sexual Violence. Last October, 460 People Were Killed In A Maternity Hospital In El Fasher After A Long Siege, And Reports Recorded The Killing Of 10,000 People In Just Two Days After The Fall Of The City. The Deputy Prosecutor Of The International Criminal Court Confirmed The Existence Of “Organized Mass Criminality” In Darfur, And The Court Concluded That War Crimes Were Committed In El Fasher, Amid Warnings Of A Famine Threatening The Lives Of 26 Million People.
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Observers Believe That The UAE Has Strategic Interests In Sudan (Such As Access To The Red Sea And Gold Reserves). A Report By UN Experts Revealed “Credible” Evidence Regarding The Operation Of Weekly Weapons Cargo Flights To “Am Djarass” Airport In Chad To Be Delivered To The Rapid Support Forces. The UAE Categorically Denied This, Asserting That It Is Merely A “Humanitarian Field Hospital,” And The International Court Of Justice Rejected A Case Filed By Sudan Against It In This Regard. However, Amnesty International Investigations Later Accused The UAE Of Supplying Armored Vehicles And Chinese Weapons To The Militia In A Clear Violation Of The Arms Embargo.
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The Investigations Did Not Stop There; As Reuters News Agency Revealed Emirati Funding For A Training Camp For The Militia In Ethiopia. Furthermore, Sudan’s Envoy To The United Nations Accused The UAE Of Funding Foreign Mercenaries, Which Was Confirmed By The (CIG) Group That Tracked The Phones Of Colombian Mercenaries, And Found Documented Links Between The Companies Paying Their Salaries And Senior Emirati Officials, Making This The First Research To Prove This Connection With Certainty, And Despite This, The UAE Continues Its Categorical Denial Of All These Allegations.
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Concerns Center Around Sheikh Mansour As A Pivotal Figure In The Emirati Government. Mansour Met With Hemedti At An Arms Exhibition In 2021, And They Held A Lengthy Meeting In March 2023 Just One Week Before The War Broke Out. According To The “New York Times” Newspaper, US Intelligence Intercepted Regular Phone Calls Between Hemedti And Emirati Leaders, Including Sheikh Mansour.
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Demands Are Intensifying Politically In Britain; Where “FairSquare” Officially Demanded The Application Of The 2020 Sanctions Regulations, Supported By Demands From MPs Like Al Pinkerton On The Necessity Of Applying International Law To Senior Officials. Despite The Cautious Government Responses That Conditioned The Existence Of “Credible And Actionable Evidence,” Iain Duncan Smith Insisted On The Necessity Of Studying Sanctions Because Turning A Blind Eye Will Lead To The Continuation Of The War.
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The Biggest Sporting Impact Is That If Sanctions Are Imposed, Sheikh Mansour Will Be Legally Forced To Sell Manchester City Club. The English Premier League Regulations (Owners’ And Directors’ Test, Specifically Rule F.1.28) Immediately Disqualify Anyone Subject To British Sanctions. The Premier League Confirmed Its Strict Adherence To This Rule Despite Refusing To Comment On Specific Individuals. The Risk Doubles With The “Independent Football Regulator” (IFR) Taking Up Its Duties Soon, With Powers Enabling It To Impose Mandatory Divestment Orders And Appoint Trustees To Manage Clubs Instead Of The Owners.
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The Biggest Dilemma Lies In The Fact That Imposing Sanctions Will Create A Major Diplomatic Crisis With The UAE, One Of Britain’s Largest Trade Partners. This Political Sensitivity Appeared Clearly In The Case Of The 115 Charges Directed Against Manchester City, Where Documents Revealed The Existence Of Secret Communications Between The British Government And Abu Dhabi Regarding The Case, The Details Of Which Were Kept Secret. While Sheikh Mansour, The Club, Or The UAE Government Did Not Respond To These Accusations To Clarify Their Position To “The Athletic” Newspaper, The British Government Affirmed Its Commitment To Stop Any External Support For The Armed Groups And Hold The Perpetrators Of Violations In Sudan Accountable.
