The international community made a “critical mistake” by failing to stop Sudan’s 2021 military takeover, said Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, during the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. Gargash noted that countries “stopped short of calling it a coup,” hoping to stabilise Sudan after years of sanctions — a move that ultimately enabled today’s civil war.
The conflict, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 13 million. Gargash urged Sudan’s warring generals, Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and Mohamed Dagalo, to agree to a ceasefire and return to civilian rule. He reaffirmed the UAE’s position of supporting peace efforts led by the US, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt under the Quad initiative.
