'Reputational Cover': Rights Groups Press Manchester Candidates Over UAE Ties

Human Rights Watch and FairSquare say the city's property partnership with Sheikh Mansour has shielded Abu Dhabi from scrutiny while it backs forces accused of atrocities in Sudan

Human Rights Watch and FairSquare have called on candidates contesting Manchester’s forthcoming mayoral election to confront the United Arab Emirates over its human rights record and its reported military support for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

In a joint letter issued on Friday, the two organisations urged candidates to commit publicly to using Manchester’s political and commercial relationship with Abu Dhabi to raise concerns about Emirati involvement in Sudan’s war.

“Manchester City Council’s ties to Emirati officials have given the UAE’s government valuable reputational cover while it backs forces committing atrocities in Sudan,” said Joey Shea, senior Saudi Arabia and UAE researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Mayoral candidates should not stay silent about the UAE’s record despite the money flowing through Manchester.”

The money flowing through the city

The groups highlighted the council’s financial connections to senior figures in the Emirati leadership, particularly through the Manchester Life Development Company — a property venture jointly owned by Manchester City Council and an entity ultimately controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s vice president and deputy prime minister.

That partnership, the organisations argued, has allowed Emirati officials to burnish their public image and extend their influence in the city while avoiding scrutiny of the UAE’s domestic and foreign policies. The letter urged candidates to examine whether investments linked to the Emirati government meet human rights standards, and to weigh the broader political consequences of close financial ties with Abu Dhabi.

The case against the UAE in Sudan

The appeal follows a Human Rights Watch report published in May documenting growing evidence of Emirati military assistance to the RSF, which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces for control of the country and stands accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and widespread abuses against civilians. In Darfur, the paramilitary force has also been accused of an ethnic-cleansing campaign targeting non-Arab communities.

The investigation found that Colombian private military contractors travelled through Emirati military facilities before deployment to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF — findings the organisation said added to evidence that the UAE had substantially strengthened the group’s capacity to conduct operations and commit violations.

In February, Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office sanctioned three Colombian nationals accused of recruiting mercenaries for the RSF, adding them to the UK Sanctions List for enlisting fighters to serve “in areas of Sudan, including El Fasher.” The North Darfur capital fell to the RSF in October 2025 after roughly eighteen months under siege. Colombian fighters were reportedly present during the takeover, in which RSF members were accused of massacring civilians, abducting people for ransom, and abusing people with disabilities. Foreign combatants believed to be Colombian contractors were observed standing nearby as those killings and kidnappings were carried out, according to Human Rights Watch.

‘Exemplary business partners’

This is not the first such approach. In 2016, Human Rights Watch asked Sir Richard Leese, then a senior figure at Manchester City Council, to co-sign a letter urging Emirati authorities to release political detainees and investigate reports of torture. Leese declined, describing the Emirati authorities as “exemplary business partners” and saying the “alleged” violations fell outside the council’s remit.

The organisations are now seeking firmer commitments from the current candidates. If elected, they said, a mayor should pledge to press the UAE to end its support for the RSF, conduct human rights due diligence on Emirati-linked investment in the city and region, raise concerns directly with Emirati representatives, meet Emirati human rights defenders, and speak publicly about the UAE’s domestic record.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen