UK rights group plans to protest outside Etihad Stadium, urging Premier League to confront Man City owner Sheikh Mansour on UAE’s alleged support for Sudan’s RSF militia.
Newsroom (16/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based human rights organization specializing in religious freedom, has scheduled a public campaign for January 14, 2026, outside England’s Etihad Stadium. The initiative includes a protest and the launch of a petition pressing the English Premier League (EPL) to confront Manchester City Football Club owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan over the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) alleged extensive involvement in Sudan’s civil war.
In a media advisory released on December 15 and shared with ACI Africa, CSW cited “credible evidence” that the UAE, where Sheikh Mansour serves as Vice President and deputy Prime Minister, “continues to provide extensive military and financial support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF, formerly the Janjaweed militia).” The group described Sheikh Mansour as the RSF leader’s closest ally in the Emirates.
The campaign targets the intersection of global sport and geopolitics, situating the allegations within Sudan’s conflict that erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. CSW described the war as precipitating one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises, with over 30 million people—including nearly 15 million children—in urgent need of aid, at least 150,000 killed, and more than 13 million displaced.
Particular alarm centers on Darfur, where the RSF faces suspicions of “committing renewed genocide” after capturing El Fasher city, with fighters reportedly documenting mass killings and atrocities.
These claims align with broader reporting on UAE involvement. Investigations, including by The New York Times, have detailed an alleged covert operation from a remote airfield and hospital in Amdjarass, Chad, where Emirati cargo planes have landed frequently since mid-2023. Officials from the U.S., Europe, and African nations, speaking anonymously, described the site as a hub for supplying powerful weapons, drones, and medical treatment to RSF fighters, with severe cases airlifted to UAE military hospitals—all under the cover of humanitarian aid for Sudanese refugees.
Emirati officials maintain the Amdjarass operation is purely humanitarian, highlighting treatment of thousands of patients and aid distributions. However, U.N. data indicates few registered refugees in the area, with the main crisis farther south. A former senior U.S. official reportedly called RSF leader Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan (known as Hemeti) “their guy,” underscoring longstanding ties.
The January 14 action aims to coincide with a petition urging the EPL to raise the UAE’s role with Sheikh Mansour, demanding accountability for “prolonging and profiting from the conflict” and cessation of RSF support.
CSW, holding U.N. consultative status, reiterated its four-decade focus on freedom of religion or belief, including in Sudan: “We have sought to challenge and change the laws, behaviours and policies that lead to, or facilitate, violations of this fundamental human right.”
As Sudan’s crisis commands growing international scrutiny—with accusations of foreign-fueled prolongation—the planned Etihad protest highlights efforts to leverage sporting platforms for human rights advocacy.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Africa and NYtimes
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