Warnings of a possible “genocide” in Sudan were removed from a UK risk assessment by Foreign Office officials, according to a whistleblower whose testimony raises fresh concern over British failures to act on the atrocities unfolding in the war-ravaged country.
The threat analyst said they were prevented from warning that genocide could occur in Darfur by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials in a humanitarian risk assessment collated days after Sudan’s brutal civil war erupted in April 2023.
The analyst, requesting anonymity, believes the decision may have been taken to protect the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key UK ally accused of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) perpetrating genocidal violence in Sudan.
“The word genocide was removed from our report. Anyone who has studied Sudan – its patterns of behaviour – knew genocide was a risk,” said the analyst, who produced a regular early-warning assessment for the FCDO, reports which can be disseminated throughout government departments.
It amounted to “censoring”, they said, and was particularly disturbing as the UK is the UN security council’s “penholder” on Sudan, meaning it leads the council’s activities on the conflict.
Meanwhile, a former FCDO official linked to the department’s atrocity prevention team told the Guardian that they also believed the suppression of the risk of genocide in Sudan was to protect the UAE from scrutiny.
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