UK activists accuse Arsenal F.C. of ‘sportswashing’ Sudan over UAE ties
Protesters gather at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, calling for Arsenal F.C. to sever ties with Emirates Airlines in light of the crisis in Sudan (Photo: Supplied)
Protestors from London For Sudan and Action For Sudan gathered outside Emirates Stadium during the Arsenal vs. Liverpool match on Sunday, urging Arsenal F.C. to end its sponsorship deal with Emirates Airlines due to the UAE’s alleged role in Sudan’s escalating humanitarian crisis.
In a joint statement released yesterday, London For Sudan and Action For Sudan highlighted the alarming surge in violence in El Gezira, which has escalated following the recent defection of paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Abu Agla Keikil and several of his troops to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
“In just 48 hours, over 500 men have been killed in a single village, and at least 37 cases of rape have been reported around Rufaa in Sudan’s El Gezira state. Tragically, some 130 Sudanese women are believed to have taken their own lives to avoid RSF violence,” the statement read.
Residents in El Gezira had previously warned of severe RSF retaliation, raising fears of a brutal cycle of vengeance, and escalating civil strife.
The groups accuse the United Arab Emirates of fuelling the conflict by supplying arms to the RSF, a charge echoed by many stakeholders and activists. At the UN Security Council’s 9,611th meeting in April, Sudan’s Permanent Representative, El Harith Idriss Mohamed, directly accused the UAE of involvement. The UAE has denied these claims, calling the accusations and alleged evidence “baseless.”
As the crisis deepens, the protesters argue that the UAE, which owns Emirates Airlines, is benefiting economically from the violence by securing access to Sudan’s resources in exchange for supporting the RSF.
“Arsenal’s continued partnership with Emirates Airlines implicitly links the club to these atrocities,” London For Sudan and Action For Sudan stated, accusing the UAE of “sportswashing genocide in Sudan.”
The protestors urged Arsenal fans and the general public to support their call for an end to the Emirates sponsorship, urging fans to “take a stand for Sudan” by signing petitions and demanding accountability from the football club.
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