The Guardian view on foreign powers in Sudan: struggling for advantage while civilians starve | Editorial

The role of the United Arab Emirates in fuelling the war is under the spotlight. But other countries too are exacerbating the deadly conflict

The often denied but obvious involvement of foreign powers in Sudan's deadly civil war is now firmly in the spotlight. Tens of thousands of people, including many civilians, have been killed since it began last April. Now, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has accused the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) of bombing its ambassador's residence in Khartoum, causing extensive damage". The SAF denied it, claiming that last month's strike was the work of the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), backed by the UAE.

What's not in doubt is that both sides are committing war crimes and that they are able to do so because foreign governments are supporting them. The ceaseless flow of arms has resulted in a vast, growing humanitarian disaster. Last week, UN-appointed experts accused combatants of using starvation tactics" against 25 million civilians. Additionally, 10 million people have been displaced, and diseases such as cholera are rapidly spreading amid the world's largest hunger crisis.

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