A claim by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) bombed the residence of its ambassador in Khartoum has drawn widespread condemnation from Gulf countries and most Arab states, including Egypt. The UAE has threatened to file complaints with the United Nations, the Arab League, and the African Union over the incident.
The UAE initially moved its diplomatic staff to Port Sudan but withdrew all personnel amid reported disagreements over travel procedures. Tensions reportedly arose after military intelligence insisted on manually searching the luggage of UAE diplomats entering or leaving the country, a demand that embassy staff initially rejected.
In a statement on Monday, the UAE's foreign ministry said a Sudanese military aircraft attacked the residence of its ambassador in Khartoum, describing the incident as a "heinous attack" that caused extensive damage to the building.
"The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the heinous attack that targeted the residence of the UAE Head of Mission in Khartoum by a Sudanese army aircraft, which resulted in extensive damage to the building. The UAE has called on the army to assume full responsibility for this cowardly act," the ministry said.
The statement added that the UAE plans to submit formal letters of protest to the League of Arab States, the African Union, and the United Nations, accusing the SAF of violating the principle of diplomatic inviolability. "The Ministry expressed its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at destabilizing security and stability, in contravention of international law," the statement read.
SAF, which has accused the UAE of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's ongoing conflict—a claim the UAE has denied despite UN reports—rejected the allegation. In a statement, SAF described the accusation as "cowardly" and accused the RSF of being responsible for the attack.
"The Sudanese armed forces condemns and denies the accusation by the United Arab Emirates of bombing the residence of its ambassador in Khartoum and asserts that it does not target the headquarters of diplomatic missions, United Nations agencies or voluntary organizations and does not turn them into military bases and loot their assets," SAF said. "The one that carries out these heinous and cowardly actions is the terrorist, rebel Dalgo militia, supported in committing all this by a country known to the world."
Satellite images of the diplomatic residence reveal that there may be scorch marks on the roof, but the images we reviewed were low resolution and inconclusive.
SAF emphasized its adherence to international law, stating, "The armed forces does not carry out these cowardly acts and does not violate international law but only targets areas where the militia is present and that is within its right to defend the Sudanese nation."
The UAE, one of six Gulf nations, received immediate support from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and nearly all Arab countries, except Tunisia and Lebanon, which condemned the alleged attack. While several nations, including the UK, Egypt, Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq, Libya, Chad, and Pakistan, also denounced the attack, none explicitly named SAF as the perpetrator.
Egypt, Sudan's northern neighbor and erstwhile ally, issued a statement following the UAE's announcement, condemning the attack as a violation of international law and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which guarantees the protection of diplomatic missions.
“While Egypt condemns this incident, it emphasizes the need to adhere to the provisions of international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians and the safety of diplomatic missions,” the Egyptian foreign ministry said, without directly naming the perpetrator.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry also condemned the attack, describing it as a violation of international law. “The ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s rejection of these violations and all forms of violence against diplomats,” the statement said, stressing the importance of adhering to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The Arab League echoed these sentiments, with Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit denouncing any attack on diplomatic buildings or personnel. He stressed the need for coordinated efforts to end the conflict in Sudan and preserve the country's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Türkiye's foreign ministry issued a similar condemnation, stating, “Türkiye considers and condemns the attack on the residence of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Khartoum as a clear violation of international law and diplomatic norms.”