UK Placed UAE Ties Over Preventing Atrocities in El-Fasher: Testimony

By Al Mayadeen English

23 Jun 2026 19:22

A war crimes investigator told UK MPs that Britain failed to act on warnings of mass killings in Sudan’s El Fasher due to UAE diplomatic concerns.

The British government has been accused of deliberately suppressing intelligence and obstructing international action during the genocidal assault on El-Fasher in Sudan, where an estimated 60,000 civilians were killed, according to testimony presented to a parliamentary committee.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) reportedly received repeated alerts describing the situation as potentially one of the largest mass casualty events of the 21st century. These warnings came ahead of the UAE-backed RSF’s assault on El-Fasher after the extended siege.

Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) at the Yale School of Public Health, told the International Development Committee that his team provided UK officials with real-time intelligence for more than two years. He said the data consistently indicated that the siege would result in large-scale civilian killings.

Raymond said officials were informed that the situation was escalating toward mass atrocities, yet policy action did not follow at a level he described as necessary to prevent the outcome.

Economic ties prioritized over genocide prevention

Raymond told MPs that UK officials prioritized diplomatic and economic relations with the United Arab Emirates over preventing mass civilian deaths in El-Fasher. He said concerns over the UAE’s role in the conflict influenced how the UK responded to the intelligence provided.

He stated that officials “prioritised HMG’s [His Majesty’s Government’s] economic, security, and diplomatic relationships with the UAE above preventing the intentional starvation, forced displacement, and the genocidal slaughter of tens of thousands of civilians living in El Fasher and its surrounding communities,” in written testimony to MPs.

The HRL had used satellite imagery and open-source intelligence to track developments in El-Fasher. He said UK officials were given a detailed analysis showing the likely trajectory of the siege and its humanitarian consequences.

The UK, as the UN Security Council penholder on Sudan, had access to sufficient intelligence to develop policy responses that could have altered the outcome, including potential sanctions and diplomatic pressure, he said.

El-Fasher drowns in civilian blood

The RSF captured El-Fasher in October after an 18-month siege. UN investigators later said the operation bore the hallmarks of genocide.

Raymond told MPs that at least 60,000 people may have been killed in the weeks following the city’s fall, based on satellite imagery and open-source intelligence. He compared the scale of destruction to some of the most lethal modern mass casualty events.

The UK, he stated, had policy options available during the escalation, including sanctions targeting individuals linked to external support networks for the RSF, arguing that stronger diplomatic pressure could have disrupted weapons flows and altered the course of events.

He told MPs that UK officials acknowledged internal constraints linked to political sensitivities, including the potential reaction from the UAE.

Foreign Office censorship

Raymond also described meetings in which Foreign Office officials discussed limits on public warnings from civil society groups. NGOs were reportedly cautioned against repeatedly issuing alerts about the fall of El-Fasher, to avoid diminishing credibility.

He said the FCDO interpreted its obligations under a UN Security Council resolution narrowly, limiting additional action against the RSF’s external backers.

RSF operations briefly paused following the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to the siege in 2024. He said sources indicated that RSF leadership considered whether international consequences would follow.

However, once it became clear that no meaningful consequences were expected, Raymond said operations resumed.

Limits of intelligence without political action

Raymond concluded that while advanced intelligence and satellite analysis can provide early warning, they do not substitute for political will. He told MPs that the El-Fasher case demonstrates how timely intelligence alone is insufficient without decisive governmental action.

The period covered by his testimony spans the final months of the Sunak government and the early months of the Starmer administration. The relevant foreign secretaries during this period included Lord David Cameron, David Lammy, and Yvette Cooper.