Sudanese Diplomats: UN Candidate Nusseibeh Lacks Impartiality

Sudanese diplomats at the United Nations have asked member states to reject the candidacy of Lana Nusseibeh for the position of UN Secretary General. The Sudanese permanent mission argues that the Emirati foreign minister cannot act with the required independence given her country's disputed role in Sudan's ongoing conflict. This challenge to her bid follows her entry into the race on Wednesday, a move that occurred after six informal polls failed to produce a consensus among the five permanent members of the Security Council.

The Sudanese mission stated that it has fundamental questions about Nusseibeh's impartiality and credibility. In a statement provided to Middle East Eye, the office accused the UAE of troubling the peace in Sudan by enabling genocide, sexual violence, and the enslavement of women and girls. The mission claimed that Nusseibeh built her diplomatic career on defending and whitewashing these actions. It concluded that the UAE must face accountability rather than being rewarded with the top leadership role at the UN.

Nusseibeh, who served as the UAE's ambassador to the UN from 2013 to 2024, has consistently denied Emirati involvement in the war. In April 2024, she told the Security Council that allegations of support for the Rapid Support Forces were spurious and lacked credible evidence. In July 2024, she reiterated this position to CNN, calling such claims categorically untrue. Her statements contrast with findings from UN investigators who have described mass killings by the RSF as bearing the hallmarks of genocide.

The conflict in Sudan has resulted in an estimated hundreds of thousands of deaths since April 2023, with millions more displaced. The UAE's position has been a point of contention in international forums. In November 2025, Nusseibeh traveled to Strasbourg to lobby the European Parliament to remove references to the UAE's role in Sudan from an EU resolution condemning atrocities. She did not respond to requests for comment regarding her current candidacy.

Ammar Mahmoud, a senior Sudanese diplomat, expressed doubt that Nusseibeh would maintain impartiality as Secretary General. He stated that her rejection of UN investigators' findings suggests she would not form investigative committees regarding the UAE's role. Mahmoud also predicted she would not accurately reflect the true nature of the conflict in her engagements with world leaders. He noted that the current stalemate in the Security Council has allowed her bid to gain momentum.

Sudan filed a case at the International Court of Justice in March 2025, accusing the UAE of complicity in genocide. The case was dismissed two months later because the UAE had not fully acceded to the Genocide Convention, meaning the court lacked formal authority to rule. Despite this legal outcome, the diplomatic friction remains a central issue in the selection process.

Other concerns involve Nusseibeh's ability to mediate the Israel-Palestine conflict. Israel has killed over 74,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. Although the UAE has voted against Israel at the General Assembly, the two nations signed the Abraham Accords in 2020, a deal Nusseibeh helped champion. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented an Israel-UAE Hexagon Alliance, a plan that appeared to identify the RSF as a friendly party.

If selected, Nusseibeh would become the first woman and the second Arab to lead the UN. Her candidacy faces resistance despite conventions favoring a candidate from Latin America for regional rotation. The Security Council remains divided, with the UK reportedly leaning toward backing her bid according to sources close to the British government. The five veto-wielding powers have not yet agreed on a successor to Antonio Guterres.