Prime Minister Mark Carney is travelling to the United Arab Emirates this week for high-level talks, a visit that comes at a sensitive moment as international pressure builds over alleged atrocities in Sudan and concerns about who may be funding or arming groups involved in the conflict.
Carney’s trip, originally planned to focus on trade, energy cooperation, and climate-related investment, is now expected to include discussions on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where clashes between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have triggered mass displacement, food shortages, and widespread rights abuses.
Human rights organisations and several Western governments have raised pointed questions about whether foreign actors, including the UAE, have provided political or logistical support to the RSF — allegations that Abu Dhabi strongly denies. UAE officials say the country has not backed any armed group and insists its role has been limited to humanitarian relief and diplomatic engagement aimed at ending the violence.
Canadian officials accompanying Carney say the Prime Minister will press for “transparency, accountability, and de-escalation” in the region, while also seeking clarity on the allegations that have complicated diplomatic relations. “Canada believes the atrocities in Sudan cannot go unaddressed. The world needs full cooperation to get to the truth,” one senior official said.
Analysts note that Carney’s visit places Canada in the middle of a geopolitical dispute shaping the Horn of Africa, with global powers trying to influence peace talks and stem a crisis with the potential to spill across borders. The UAE remains an important economic partner for Canada, but its role in Sudan has drawn intense scrutiny from humanitarian monitors and regional experts.
Alongside discussions on Sudan, the two sides are expected to advance work on clean-energy partnerships, trade diversification, and technology investments. But observers say it is the Sudan file that will overshadow the visit and determine how Canada engages with the Gulf on future diplomatic and security matters.
Carney is expected to brief Parliament on the trip once he returns to Ottawa.