Sudan decries Nusseibeh UN candidacy as ‘whitewashing' Emirati role in civil war

Sudan's UN mission has criticized Lana Nusseibeh's bid for the top UN leadership role, accusing her of "whitewashing" the UAE's involvement in Sudan's civil war. Nusseibeh, who has ties to the UAE, emerged as a frontrunner for the position following a lack of agreement among the UN Security Council's 15 members to choose a successor to Antonio Guterres.

The Sudanese mission expressed concerns about her independence, impartiality, and credibility to lead the UN, stating that she has built her career on defending and minimizing the UAE's role in enabling atrocities in Sudan, including genocide, enslavement, and sexual violence. The UAE denies involvement and has previously claimed that allegations of its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were "spurious and unfounded."

Nusseibeh has denied these claims herself, stating that such allegations are "categorically untrue." Her candidacy has sparked controversy due to her close ties with the UAE and her rejection of UN investigators' findings on Emirati involvement in the conflict. If selected, she would be the first woman to lead the UN and its second Arab secretary general.