RSF attacks on diplomatic missions in Khartoum, Sudan

The UAE claimed that Sudan breached the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, through an attack on its ambassador’s residence in Khartoum that took book swathes of land from the UAE-sponsored Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.

In response, Sudan’s foreign ministry alleged that the RSF had in fact attacked over 40 diplomatic missions through the course of the war.  Satellite images broadcast on state television also compared how diplomatic missions in Khartoum – apart from the UAE’s - were looted by the RSF.

 While there has been extensive documentation of the RSF’s systematic campaign of looting civilian homes and aid agencies, diplomatic missions have not been spared. Amid a stream of reports of attacks on embassies and ambassador’s residences in Khartoum, the RSF have been explicitly blamed for some. While various foreign ministries that had their premises attacked opted to not name a perpetrator in their statements condemning the incidents, they nonetheless fall into a pattern of RSF looting. These include, but are not limited to:

Embassies of Arab states

-       Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its cultural attache building in Khartoum was looted (3 May 2023).

-       Jordan: The Jordanian foreign ministry said its embassy in Khartoum was looted and vandalised  (15 May 2023).

-       Kuwait: The residence of the head of Kuwaiti embassy’s military office in Khartoum was looted according to Kuwait’s foreign ministry  (16 May 2023).

-       Qatar: The Qatari foreign ministry said “irregular” forces stormed and vandalised its embassy in Khartoum (20 May 2023).

-       Libya: The Libyan foreign ministry condemned the storming of its embassy in Khartoum (30 May 2023).

-       Palestine: The Arab Parliament and the Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the looting of the Palestinian embassy and storming of its ambassador’s residence, with local workers beaten in the process. Sudan’s foreign ministry said it was the fourth time the Palestinian embassy was attacked (7 June 2023).

-       Oman: Sudan’s foreign ministry said the residence of the Omani ambassador in Al-Manshiya neighbourhood was looted (7 June 2023).

-       Tunisia: The Tunisian foreign ministry said the residence of its ambassador to Sudan was raided and looted (18 June 2023).

-       Mauritania: Al-Akhbar, a Mauritanian outlet, reported that RSF stormed Mauritania’s embassy in Khartoum and conducted a looting spree including taking three cars belonging to the ambassador and embassy staff. The sources said the RSF also stormed the Pakistani embassy next door (20 June 2023).

Non-Arab embassies

-       USA: The RSF reportedly looted vehicles and buildings at a residential complex and tried to break into the embassy and shot at it (13 and 26 May 2023). The US Bureau of African Affairs announced that the RSF killed a local guard on 11 September 2024.

-       Turkey: The official vehicle of the Turkish ambassador to Sudan was shot at (7 May 2023).

-       Somalia: The Somali embassy in Khartoum was looted (15 May 2023). The Somali ambassador to Sudan then confirmed that his Khartoum residence was looted by the RSF, with the militia destroying cars (12 June 2023).

-       China: Sudan’s foreign ministry said the RSF looted the Chinese embassy, stealing cars and vandalising furniture  (7 June 2023).

-       Pakistan: Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned RSF looting of the Pakistani embassy in Khartoum (21 June 2023). This was confirmed by Mauritanian sources, as the same occurred to their embassy next door to the Pakistani one.

-       Ethiopia: Sudan’s foreign ministry accused the RSF of looting the Ethiopian embassy in Khartoum (3 October 2023).

-       Netherlands: The Dutch Embassy announced on Facebook that the RSF occupied and looted its embassy building in Khartoum (8 August 2024).