UAE Nominee Lana Nusseibeh Faces Backlash Over Sudan Ties

Sudanese diaspora members and international human rights organizations are denouncing the nomination of Lana Nusseibeh by the United Arab Emirates for the position of United Nations Secretary-General. Critics, including Human Rights Watch and the Sudan Action Hub, argue Nusseibeh is unsuitable for the role due to her consistent denials of evidence that the UAE supports the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudanese civil war.

Opponents claim the appointment would represent an autocratic capture of the UN and undermine accountability for atrocities, specifically citing the October 2025 attack on El Fasher. The United Nations previously stated that the attack on El Fasher had hallmarks of genocide.

Nusseibeh has defended her candidacy, describing the crimes committed by the RSF as atrocious. To ensure her independence, she stated she has taken a leave of absence from her UAE ministerial post. The nomination enters a gridlocked race in which former Costa Rican vice-president Rebeca Grynspan was previously the narrow frontrunner.