US rapper Macklemore has announced the cancellation of his planned October concert in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, citing concerns over the UAE’s alleged involvement in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Macklemore explained that he had been urged for months by supporters to cancel the show as an act of solidarity with the Sudanese people. He highlighted calls to boycott the UAE due to its reported support for the Sudanese paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been engaged in conflict with the Sudanese army.
“Until the UAE stops arming and funding the RSF I will not perform there,” Macklemore stated. His decision reflects growing international scrutiny over the UAE’s role in the Sudanese conflict.
Neither the Dubai city government nor the UAE government has responded to Macklemore’s statement at this time.
In June, the UAE dismissed accusations of fueling the conflict as “disinformation,” asserting that its efforts were focused on addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Sudan’s ambassador to the UN, Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, had previously claimed that the UAE’s financial and military support to the RSF was a significant factor in the protracted war. The UAE countered these claims as a “ludicrous allegation” from a representative of one of the warring factions.
The conflict, which began in April of the previous year, has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced approximately 10 million people. The war has led to unprecedented levels of hunger in Sudan, as reported by the UN-accredited Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The RSF has been accused of committing genocide against the non-Arabic population in Darfur, though it has denied these allegations and blamed local militias instead.
Efforts to resolve the 16-month war have thus far been unsuccessful, with continued fighting exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Macklemore, who recently released the song “Hind’s Hall” in tribute to a girl killed in Gaza, noted that his decision was influenced by the broader context of global conflicts, including the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza. He expressed concern that the severity of the situation in Sudan is not receiving adequate global attention.
The Grammy-winning artist, known for addressing social issues in his music, emphasized that he is not judging other artists performing in the UAE. However, he posed a question to his peers: “If we used our platforms to mobilise collective liberation, what could we accomplish?”
