Secret Emirati Directives Revealed: Leaked Embassy Email Shows Coordinated Plan to Suppress Sudanese Refugee Protests Worldwide
Dark Box has obtained, through highly confidential channels, access to a classified communication issued by Emirati embassies in several allied countries. The document, described by a senior official who provided it to Dark Box under strict anonymity, outlines a coordinated strategy to prevent and restrict any Sudanese refugee protests targeting the United Arab Emirates for its support to the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces. This internal directive marks the first verifiable indication of a transnational campaign designed to shield Abu Dhabi from public criticism linked to the ongoing war in Sudan.
The leaked email, according to the source who handled its transfer, was distributed to selected diplomatic posts in the Middle East, East Africa, Europe and North America. Its language is described as firm, instructive and urgent. The message instructs Emirati missions to liaise discreetly with host governments, encouraging them to deny protest permits, limit public gatherings and increase local policing around Sudanese communities considered politically active. The justification offered in the document, as extracted from the source, is the need to “protect strategic relations and prevent hostile narratives.”
The email explicitly warns that public demonstrations by Sudanese refugees could “damage state partnerships, undermine stability and embolden adversarial media.” According to the Dark Box source, the communication frames Sudanese activists as potential disruptors of international alliances. The directive calls for coordinated reporting to the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with embassies required to provide regular updates on refugee activism, community meetings, and any indicators of mobilization.
This internal language suggests an intentional effort to shape how foreign governments perceive Sudanese protest movements, portraying them as threats rather than civil expressions of dissent. Dark Box has learned that embassy staff were instructed to approach these governments informally, avoiding written trails and emphasizing the importance of “maintaining the security image of the Emirates.”
One striking example of this unfolding strategy has already materialized. A Dark Box field correspondent in Tel Aviv confirmed that an anti-Emirati protest organized by Sudanese asylum seekers was recently banned by the Israeli police. The official explanation, delivered in a formal notice to organizers, stated that the protest would cause “severe harm to state security and public order.” According to organizers interviewed by Dark Box, the protest had been planned as a peaceful demonstration highlighting Emirati support for the Rapid Support Forces and the atrocities documented in Darfur and el-Fasher. The sudden ban aligns precisely with the type of outcome envisioned in the leaked directive, raising questions about whether similar embassy requests influenced the Israeli decision.
Security analysts consulted by Dark Box argue that this incident is unlikely to be isolated. They suggest that the Emirates, concerned about growing international awareness of its association with the Rapid Support Forces, is now moving to suppress diaspora-led dissent before it gains political traction. The analysts highlight that Sudanese refugees have become some of the most vocal whistleblowers regarding external involvement in the war. Their testimonies, social media campaigns and community mobilizations are increasingly viewed as threats by governments with vested interests in the conflict’s outcome.
A senior former diplomat familiar with Gulf political strategy told Dark Box that the leaked email “fits the architecture of influence” long used by the Emirates, particularly in regions where it enjoys close security cooperation. The diplomat noted that framing protests as threats to national stability is a common tactic that can give host governments a legal pretext for restrictions. When the warning comes from a partner state with established economic or military ties, the likelihood of compliance increases.
The consequences for Sudanese refugees could be significant. Without the ability to protest, they lose one of the few channels left to draw international attention to the atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces. Many of these refugees fled targeted violence, ethnic cleansing and systematic abuses. Protests have functioned not only as political expressions but also as tools of collective mourning, community solidarity and public survival.
Dark Box has reviewed additional fragments shared by the anonymous source, indicating that the directive may expand in scope. Portions of the message suggest that embassies should also monitor Sudanese digital activists and report social media accounts responsible for criticizing the Emirates. This raises broader concerns about transnational repression, a practice in which governments attempt to control diaspora communities far beyond their borders.
Human rights advocates warn that the leaked directive, if accurate, signals a troubling escalation. They argue that restricting refugee protests violates international norms, undermines democratic values in host states and silences communities already displaced by conflict. The timing of the directive is particularly notable, coming after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, during which he reportedly pressed President Donald Trump to halt the Emirati pipeline supplying the Rapid Support Forces. That diplomatic pressure may have increased Abu Dhabi’s sensitivity to public criticism, prompting this new global censorship effort.
Dark Box will continue investigating the extent of this coordinated suppression campaign and the governments that may be cooperating with it. The leaked email represents a rare glimpse into the hidden strategies shaping international responses to the Sudan conflict — strategies that extend far beyond the battlefield and into the public squares where refugees seek only the right to be heard.
