Last week the United Arab Emirates nominated Lana Nusseibeh, an Emirati diplomat, to succeed António Guterres as Secretary‑General of the United Nations. Guterres is set to finish his second five‑year term at the end of this year, and Nusseibeh’s nomination has disrupted a race that had previously stalled.
Critics from the Sudanese diaspora and a number of international human‑rights monitors have publicly denounced Nusseibeh’s candidacy. They argue that her denial of allegations that the UAE is fuelling the war in Sudan by backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) undermines the credibility of her application.
The RSF, a paramilitary group operating in Sudan, has been accused of playing a key role in the country’s ongoing conflict. The UAE has faced accusations of providing support to the RSF, a point that Nusseibeh has rejected in statements to the press.
By naming Nusseibeh, the UAE has effectively shifted the dynamics of the UN Secretary‑General selection, a process that had previously seen little movement. The move has drawn sharp criticism from those who see the UAE’s alleged involvement in Sudan as a conflict‑related liability for the UN’s top post.
<small>Source: The Guardian — read the original story there.</small>
