Sudan’s Security and Defense Council convened on Saturday under the chairmanship of Sovereign Council head and army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan to assess recent measures taken by the United Arab Emirates against Sudan, including bans on Sudanese flights and maritime operations, and to determine the government’s response.
The UAE has recently escalated restrictions on Sudan, prohibiting Sudanese-registered aircraft from landing in its airports, halting the issuance of sailing permits for vessels flying the Sudanese flag to enter Port Sudan, and suspending all maritime dealings, including transshipment operations.
According to an official statement, the meeting reviewed the “precautionary steps” required from the Sudanese government to counter these actions, stressing Khartoum’s capacity to protect the nation’s assets and safeguard its vital interests.
The diplomatic rift between the two countries deepened in May when Sudan severed relations with the UAE, designating it a “hostile state” after a wave of drone attacks struck Port Sudan. Those strikes targeted a military airbase, a naval base, oil facilities, the main seaport, a power station, and a hotel.
Saturday’s session also evaluated the current military situation across the country’s battlefronts and discussed internal security and political developments. The Council praised the resilience of the Sudanese people and combatants engaged in what it described as the “Battle of Dignity.”
In addition, the meeting addressed reports of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the “Tasis” alliance — dominated by RSF leaders — moving to establish a rival governing authority in Darfur. The alliance has formed a “presidential council,” appointed regional governors, and named former Sovereign Council member Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishi as prime minister. RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti” was declared president of the council, with Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North leader Abdel Aziz Al-Hilu as his deputy.
The Sudanese government has rejected these developments, branding them illegitimate and a direct threat to the country’s unity and sovereignty.
