GENEVA — The United Arab Emirates' nomination of diplomat Lana Nusseibeh for UN Secretary-General has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights monitors and members of the Sudanese diaspora, who point to her repeated denials of Emirati involvement in Sudan's conflict.

The UAE put forward Nusseibeh's name last week to succeed António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends this year. Rights organizations have documented evidence of UAE support for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which stands accused of atrocities in Sudan's ongoing war with the army.

Accusations include an October 2025 attack on the city of El Fasher that the UN described as bearing "the hallmarks of genocide." Nusseibeh, who served as the UAE's UN representative until 2024, has consistently echoed her country's denials.

Hala al-Karib, a Sudanese pro-democracy activist and regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, said Nusseibeh had "no track record of acting independently of her country's role in Sudan." Al-Karib said Security Council endorsement of the nomination would amount "essentially to a denial of the genocidal acts committed in El Fasher by the RSF."

At a virtual briefing organized by Avaaz on Tuesday, Ibrahim Alduma, co-founder of Sudan Action Hub and a native of El Fasher, warned that Nusseibeh's selection would undermine public confidence in the UN. "If this candidate succeeds, how would we tell people on the ground that the United Nations is not an obstruction of the rights of the people of Sudan?" he asked. "How could the people — not only in Sudan, but other victims of wars and international criminals — trust that the UN will achieve some kind of justice?"

Husam Mahjoub, co-founder of Sudan Bukra TV, an independent media outlet, said Nusseibeh's elevation would place "leadership of UN institutions in the hands of that government's chief defender, at the very moment Sudanese civilians most need the UN to hold powerful states accountable."

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, said Nusseibeh "has been asked about the UAE's role in arming and supporting the RSF, and she just blatantly denies it without regard to the facts." Such a stance, Roth said, is "not what we need as UN secretary-general."

Bruno Stagno Ugarte, chief advocacy officer at Human Rights Watch, said Nusseibeh's dismissal of UN reports detailing UAE connections to the RSF had "seriously undermined justice and accountability for the victims."

Nusseibeh issued a statement on Tuesday indicating she would support the UN if selected.