New UAE field hospital near Sudan-South Sudan border

AWEIL – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has established a new field hospital in Madhol Payam of Aweil East County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, approximately 64 kilometers south of the Sudanese border. The facility’s strategic location and sophisticated equipment have sparked concerns among civil society groups over potential UAE involvement in supporting Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Construction of the hospital began in November 2024 and was completed in December, according to technical staff at the facility who spoke to Sudans Post. The project is funded by the UAE and South Sudanese businessman Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, a close ally of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The Northern Bahr el Ghazal State government described the hospital as a “generous gift” from UAE President and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to President Kiir and Dr. Bol Mel.

State Information Minister Zechariah Garang Lual praised the hospital, calling it “one of the best hospitals that the country has received,” and confirmed it would be operated initially by Emirati specialists.

“The hospital is one of the best hospitals that the country has received. It has sensitive equipment that will be operated by specialists from Abu Dhabi in the meantime as the government gears itself towards constructing permanent structures,” Lual said.

When asked about the remuneration of the Emirati health workers, Lual added, “It is a donation from the United Arab Emirates who brought the specialists to install the systems” but did not specify how long they would remain.

The hospital’s construction displaced at least 19 families in Madhol Payam. While some families reportedly accepted compensation offers, others have raised complaints over forced evictions and incomplete payments. Each family was promised 45 million South Sudanese Pounds (approximately $10,835), but many have yet to receive full compensation.

Atong, a displaced resident, said she received only half of her promised compensation despite losing valuable property.

“They have given me half of the money and the rest of the money is not provided to me. I have sons who are enraged about being vacated. Even my mango tree is big and the mahogany tree. I left even the grave of my baby there,” she recounted.

Another resident, Deng, a police officer, expressed frustration over the lack of clear communication and compensation.

“I am a police officer, and they evicted me. As you know, the money does not come so early, and now my tukuls still stand there. Now the governor is between Aweil and Juba, and nobody comes to explain their positions to us,” Deng said.

Medical experts who spoke to Sudans Post highlighted the hospital’s advanced equipment, noting that even Juba Teaching Hospital, the country’s largest public health facility, lacks similar resources.

“The equipment at the hospital is very sophisticated, and they have things that the Juba Teaching Hospital itself doesn’t have. So, it is really a huge donation, and the government of South Sudan as we speak does not have the money to buy them for a village whose residents are less than 2,000 people,” a medical expert said on condition of anonymity.

Civil society leaders in South Sudan have warned that the hospital could be used to interfere in Sudan’s conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

There are growing fears that the UAE might exploit the facility to supply military aid or treat wounded RSF fighters, echoing its past involvement in Chad’s Um Jarras Field Hospital, which was reportedly used to transport military equipment to the RSF.

Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), cautioned that the hospital should remain neutral.

“CEPO welcomes improvement of the provision of social services such as hospitals in Madhol and Aweil East County for our communities. Let the hospital be free from the ongoing political frictions among the conflicting parties in Sudan since it is at the borders, and the involvement of the UAE in the regional politics should have no direct impact on the purpose of the hospital establishment,” Yakani said.

Ter Manyang Gatwech, Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), warned the South Sudanese government against the geopolitical risks associated with the hospital’s location.

“The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) cautions the Government of South Sudan against establishing a hospital at the border in Aweil East, emphasizing the potential for unintended consequences that could undermine regional stability,” Gatwech said.

“While service delivery is a noble and much-needed goal, such a facility could raise suspicions from the Sudanese state. There is a risk that the hospital might be perceived as serving the interests of the UAE in its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Similar concerns arose with the Um Jarras Field Hospital in Chad, which, though ostensibly humanitarian, reportedly became a base for the transport of military equipment to the RSF.”

He urged the government to relocate the hospital further inland to mitigate suspicions.

“We urge the government to prioritize the relocation of the proposed hospital to the center of Aweil. This would not only make healthcare more accessible to all citizens and incoming refugees but also mitigate any geopolitical tensions that could arise from the hospital’s border location.”

The UAE’s involvement in Sudan’s conflict has been under international scrutiny, and the establishment of this hospital near the Sudanese border raises new questions about its strategic intentions in the region.