CANADA — Following the initial signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a broad coalition of human rights, international solidarity, and civil society organizations is demanding an immediate halt to the deal – it must not be ratified. The coalition cites Abu Dhabi’s direct role in fueling mass atrocities and genocide in Sudan through its consistent material, financial, and logistical support for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the militia currently engaged in committing widespread arson, systematic sexual violence, and targeted mass killings across Sudan.

“The Canadian government cannot escape the reality that continuing to deepen economic and military ties with the UAE means deepening complicity in one of the most devastating conflicts and genocides of the twenty-first century. The Canadian state proves again and again its commitment to capitalism is stronger than its commitment to international human rights,” the coalition stated in an open letter signed by groups including the Sudan Solidarity Collective, Inter Pares, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), World BEYOND War, Palestinian Youth Movement, Independent Jewish Voices, and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

“CEPA constitutes the largest trade deal between Canada and the UAE and it was signed on the one year anniversary of the UAE-funded RSF militia committing genocidal massacres in El Fashir, North Darfur. Pools of blood were visible via satellite images from space,” explains the Sudan Solidarity Collective. “This is how genocides are legitimized and how perpetrators are gifted impunity.”

Yesterday, on the one-year anniversary of the RSF’s full-scale genocidal invasion of El Fashir, Global Affairs Canada put out a statement recognizing the role of the RSF and declaring that states must “use their influence to protect civilians, prevent further atrocities and help bring this devastating conflict to an end, including by ceasing to arm, finance and otherwise enable the war in Sudan.”

“Yesterday the Canadian government announced they would ‘pursue accountability for those responsible’ for the horrific violence in Sudan. Today they signed a trade and military cooperation deal with those directly enabling it,” a representative from the Sudan Solidarity Collective explained. “This free trade deal and defense MOU is bookended by atrocity, complicity, and blatant hypocrisy. Expanding free trade with the UAE makes it clear that securing foreign investment and the buy-up of Canadian resources by UAE investors trumps any supposed concern Canada insists it has about the genocide in Sudan.”

“The Canadian government’s decision today to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defence Cooperation with the UAE is shameful and unjustifiable,” said Rachel Small with World BEYOND War. “The UAE military has played a well documented and horrific role in supporting war crimes in Sudan and Yemen. It’s completely unacceptable for Canada to be rewarding this military with increased cooperation and support instead of holding them to account.”

Instead of entering military partnerships with the UAE, the coalition calls on Canada to impose an Arms Embargo on the UAE. Open-source investigations by groups like the CBC Visual Investigations team and War Noir have repeatedly verified B.C.-made Sterling Cross sniper rifles and Streit Group light armoured vehicles in the hands of RSF fighters.

“Canadian military hardware is already making it into Sudan for use in genocide today,” continues Small. “If Global Affairs Canada cannot prevent the UAE from allowing Canadian weapons to be used by the RSF, locking in CEPA or new military partnerships will completely collapse any illusion that Canada is trying to control the flow of weapons into Sudan through the UAE. Sudanese lives cannot be exchanged for Emirati blood money.”

Critics have also called out the UAE’s well-documented position as one of the worst perpetrators of modern slavery globally, noting that it is in contradiction with the Canadian government’s forced labour commitment to sign a free trade deal without any enforceable standards in the agreement, with a country with despicable  labour standards.

The coalition is calling on Members of Parliament to intervene ahead of the planned ratification of CEPA and prevent the implementation of today’s announced Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defence Cooperation.