The United Arab Emirates (UAE) called for a ceasefire in Sudan during the coming holy month of Ramadan, a UAE official said. The call was rejected by the Sudanese army, as the country's civil war approaches the two-year mark.
The army considers the UAE to be an aggressor of the war, accusing it of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, accusations U.N. experts and U.S. lawmakers have said are credible. The UAE denies these charges.
The war in Sudan has created the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 12 million people displaced, half the population hungry, and increasing fragmentation of the impoverished country.
"As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, a time of mercy and compassion, the UAE calls on all parties to honor this sacred period with a humanitarian ceasefire," the UAE official said.
"We do not accept a Ramadan ceasefire until the siege is broken on all cities and areas that are besieged," a high-level army source told Reuters when asked for comment.
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