Sudanese Diplomats Challenge UN Bid: Nusseibeh's Past Roles

Sudan’s permanent mission to the United Nations has called on member states to reject the candidacy of Lana Nusseibeh, the Emirati foreign minister who has emerged as a frontrunner for the post of UN secretary general. The diplomatic protest centers on the United Arab Emirates' role in the civil war in Sudan, a conflict that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths since April 2023.

Nusseibeh entered the race late on Wednesday, November 25, 2025, amid a stalemate in the Security Council. The council's 15 members have been unable to agree on a successor to incumbent Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Six informal straw polls have failed to produce a candidate with the support of all five permanent members: the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France.

In a statement provided exclusively to Middle East Eye, the Sudanese mission expressed fundamental doubts about Nusseibeh’s independence and credibility. The office accused her of building her career on defending and whitewashing the UAE's record. It cited specific allegations against the Emirati government, including enabling genocide, the enslavement of women and girls, and sexual violence.

The mission stated that the UAE must face accountability rather than receive the top leadership role at the UN. This diplomatic push follows reports that the United Kingdom is leaning toward backing Nusseibeh’s bid. Sources close to the British government indicated this preference, adding pressure to the stalled selection process.

Nusseibeh served as the UAE ambassador to the UN from 2013 to 2024. During that period, she consistently denied Emirati involvement in the Sudan conflict. 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 to CNN that such claims were categorically untrue.

UN investigators have found that the mass killings committed by the RSF bear the hallmarks of genocide. The UAE denies involvement in the conflict. Ammar Mahmoud, a senior Sudanese diplomat, argued that Nusseibeh’s rejection of these findings signals a lack of impartiality. He expressed doubt that she would form investigative committees regarding the UAE's role or accurately reflect the nature of the conflict in her engagements with world leaders.

Sudan formally accused the UAE of complicity in genocide at the International Court of Justice in March 2025. The case was dismissed two months later because the UAE had not fully acceded to the Genocide Convention, leaving the court without formal authority to rule. 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.

Questions regarding Nusseibeh’s impartiality also extend to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Israel has killed over 74,000 Palestinians 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 championed by Nusseibeh. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented an Israel-UAE Hexagon Alliance that appeared to name Sudan’s RSF as a friendly party.

If selected, Nusseibeh would become the first woman and the second Arab to lead the UN. She is of Palestinian heritage. The UN Charter requires the secretary general to act independently of all governments, including Abu Dhabi. Nusseibeh did not respond to a request for comment from Middle East Eye.