Key facts
- Dubai's ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, was confronted in London by a Sudanese man.
- The Sudanese man accused the UAE of involvement in the Sudan war and killing his people.
- An Emirati member of Maktoum's entourage allegedly engaged in racial abuse and a physical confrontation.
- The UAE is widely accused of supporting Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
- Previous court rulings found Maktoum involved in the kidnapping of his daughters and phone hacking.
The ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the UAE, Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, was confronted on the streets of central London by a Sudanese man accusing the UAE of involvement in the ongoing war in Sudan. A video posted on Sunday shows the Sudanese man shouting at Al-Maktoum and his entourage in the Knightsbridge area, stating, “Emiratis and UAE, they’re killing Sudanese people… UAE is killing people in my country. Stop killing my people.”
During the confrontation, a man appearing to be part of Al-Maktoum's entourage allegedly engaged in racial abuse, shouting, “Fuck you, fuck you and fuck your people… Motherfucker, Black bitch,” before crossing the road to confront the Sudanese man. The Sudanese man responded by reiterating his accusations against the UAE and referring to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed.
The UAE has been widely accused by the UN, US, human rights groups, and media, including Middle East Eye, of supporting Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Evidence suggests arms transfers to the RSF facilitated by networks in Libya, Chad, and Somaliland. Western nations have been criticized for not publicly opposing the UAE's alleged involvement due to economic ties.
Analysts and figures close to the Emirati leadership have acknowledged, at times tacitly, the support provided to the RSF and its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who reportedly owns property in Dubai. An Emirati academic and former adviser to MBZ, Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, previously criticized the "singling out" of the UAE, noting other countries also support the RSF.
Al-Maktoum has faced legal issues in the UK previously. In 2020, a British court found he had organized the kidnapping of his daughters Latifa and Shamsa. In 2021, a judge ruled he had hacked the phone of his former wife, Princess Haya, using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.