Rapper Macklemore cancelling Dubai show reignites focus on UAE’s role in Sudan war

Famous American rapper Macklemore announced that he will be cancelling his October concert in Dubai amid reports of the United Arab Emirates’ role “in the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis” in Sudan. While announcing his discontent over the matter, he cited UAE’s reported support for the paramilitary force that has been at war with government troops in Sudan.

The rapper has been outspoken about the ongoing crisis in both the Gaza City and Sudan. The announcement made by the rapper has now reignited attention to the UAE’s role in the war gripping the African nation. “After careful thought, rumours conversation with trusted organisers and friends and my own reading/ research. I have decided to cancel my upcoming show in Dubai this October,” the rapper said in a post on Instagram.

“The current situation in Sudan is urgent, horrific and it’s going largely unnoticed globally. I’m following the lead of Sudanese organizers and activists who are trying to be heard. Until the UAE stops arming and funding the RSF I will not perform there,” he added.

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What is the UAE’s role in the war?

In the past, Sudan’s army has publicly criticised the UAE over its alleged support for the RSF, its rival in the war. However, it is pertinent to note that the Middle Eastern nation has denied allegations of funding the group.

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The proclamation made by the Sudanese army was also supported the experts from the United Nations who insisted that there is “credible” evidence in January that the Emirates sent weapons to the RSF several times a week from northern Chad.

It has been over a year since Sudan have been engulfed in a ravaging civil war between the country’s military and paramilitary leaders. Amid the chaos, over 18,800 people have been estimated to be killed in the fighting with over 10 million people have fled their homes. The UN has also warned that hundreds of thousands of people in the country are still on the brink of famine.

How Israel-Hamas war inspired him to take the action 

In his Instagram post, the Grammy award-winning artist said that the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has prompted him to reconsider how he earns money and his ability to use his artistic platform for activism.

“If I take the money while knowing it doesn’t sit right with my spirit, how am I any different than the politicians I’ve been actively protesting against?” he wrote, urging other artists scheduled to play in Dubai to reconsider. In May this year, Macklemore released Hind’s Hall, a high-profile protest anthem in solidarity with pro-Palestinian activists occupying university campuses in response to the war in Gaza.

With inputs from agencies.