Key Takeaways
- Darfur Union UK accuses Manchester City’s owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of financing Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia committing genocide in Darfur.
- The UAE’s involvement in Sudan, through the RSF, is linked to mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes in Al-Fashir.
- Sportwashing—using clubs like Manchester City and global sponsorships—allegedly hides the UAE’s violent operations abroad.
- The Union urges the UK Government and Premier League to investigate financial ties, suspend UAE sponsorships, and hold the regime accountable
The Glittering Façade of English Football
In the dazzling world of English football, few clubs project success and sophistication like Manchester City. Their state-of-the-art facilities, global fan base, and record-breaking teams symbolize ambition and innovation.
But behind the brilliance of the Etihad Stadium lies a grim reality. The club’s billionaire owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is also a senior figure in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government — a regime now accused of funding a genocidal militia in Sudan.
According to the Darfur Union in the United Kingdom, the same empire that built Manchester City’s football dynasty is fueling bloodshed in Darfur and Al-Fashir, where thousands of civilians have been slaughtered by UAE-backed forces.
Two Faces of Power: Football and Genocide
Sheikh Mansour and his brother, Mohammed bin Zayed, the UAE’s ruler, portray themselves as champions of modernity and peace. Yet, through military and financial channels, their government reportedly arms and supports Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — a militia accused of ethnic cleansing, mass murder, and systematic sexual violence.
In Al-Fashir, satellite images have revealed pools of blood and scorched neighborhoods, while videos filmed by RSF fighters themselves document executions and torture. Over 2,000 civilians were massacred within a week, with hospitals converted into killing fields.
The Darfur Union’s statement argues that while Manchester City fans celebrate victories, those victories are indirectly financed by a regime committing war crimes.
The Economics of Atrocity
The UAE’s motives in Sudan, the statement continues, are not rooted in humanitarian concern but strategic exploitation. Sudan’s gold reserves, fertile land, and trade routes make it a prime target for Abu Dhabi’s economic influence.
Through RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”), the UAE aims to secure control over these resources. Meanwhile, to the outside world, the same regime pours billions into sports sponsorships and PR campaigns — a practice known as sportwashing.
Manchester City’s rise to dominance sits at the center of this global image operation. Etihad Airways, Emirates, and other UAE-owned entities sponsor Premier League teams, Formula 1, and UFC events, projecting an image of progress and global cooperation — while atrocities unfold in Sudan.
Just days ago, UFC president Dana White met with Tahnoon bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi to promote new partnerships, even as reports from Darfur described civilians being buried under rubble.
Sportwashing and the Illusion of Progress
The Darfur Union argues that the UAE’s investment in global sport serves a darker purpose: to launder the image of a regime guilty of war crimes.
Behind slogans like “No to Racism” and campaigns for women’s empowerment lies a disturbing truth — the same leadership funding women’s football also backs forces that use rape as a weapon of war.
“This is not hypocrisy,” the statement says. “It is strategy — a deliberate effort to use sport, branding, and celebrity culture to erase accountability and whitewash genocide.”
A Call for Accountability
The Darfur Union UK is demanding urgent action from the British Government, the Premier League, and the global football community. Their requests include:
- Investigating Manchester City’s financial and political ties to UAE operations in Sudan.
- Suspending or reviewing UAE state-linked sponsorships that serve as tools of sportwashing.
- Holding Sheikh Mansour and Mohammed bin Zayed accountable for their alleged roles in funding and directing atrocities.
The group argues that continued silence makes football complicit. “The question,” they write, “is not whether Sheikh Mansour brought success to Manchester City — it is whether Britain is comfortable celebrating trophies built on blood money.”
Football’s Moral Reckoning
As Manchester City lifts trophies and signs global superstars, the contrast between the club’s public image of unity and progress and the private reality of its ownership’s alleged complicity in genocide grows sharper.
“You cannot celebrate humanity on the pitch while destroying it off the field,” the Union concludes.
The tragedy in Sudan — and the world’s indifference — exposes football’s growing role in global politics, where sporting glory can serve as a smokescreen for human suffering.
Every televised match, every sponsorship logo, and every chant of victory now carries a question the football world can no longer ignore:
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