Africa·Sudan
Sudanese survivors and rights groups fight the UAE's pick for UN secretary-general
NEW YORK —
Depth
Dig five layers into this story — from what happened to the full picture.
L1What happened
Rights groups at an Avaaz briefing criticised the candidacy. Kenneth Roth: "This is a completely unsuitable candidate." HRW's Bruno Stagno Ugarte said her dismissal of UN reports on UAE-RSF links "seriously undermined justice and accountability for the victims."
L2Who’s affected
Sudanese civilians and survivors of El Fasher. Ibrahim Alduma, who grew up there: "How could the people... trust that the UN will achieve some kind of justice?"
L3Why it’s quiet
Analysis · OVERLOOKED The UN succession race gets little U.S. attention, and Sudan's war is routinely eclipsed by other conflicts.
L4Deeper impact
Hala al-Karib says Security Council endorsement would amount to "a denial of the genocidal acts committed in El Fasher by the RSF." Kate Ferguson called it "autocratic capture of our most significant multilateral institution." Nusseibeh says she took leave from her UAE ministerial post and that Sudan will be "the litmus test" for the next secretary-general.
L5Full context
A candidate needs nine of 15 Security Council votes and no permanent-member veto. An earlier informal poll had Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan as narrow frontrunner, but every candidate drew opposition from permanent members. The UN said the RSF's October 2025 El Fasher attack had "hallmarks of genocide." Nusseibeh was UAE ambassador to the UN until 2024.
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Original reporting
This is an OVERLOOKED summary of the reporting above. Facts and figures come from the linked sources. Everything here is a fact unless it is labelled otherwise. Support this work.
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