The United Arab Emirates are the main backers of the Rapid Support Forces.
The counter-revolutionary war in Sudan opposes two factions: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both of those have been long involved in the violence in Sudan, from the genocide in Darfur in 2003 to the crackdown on the Sudanese revolution in 2019.
Their war is now inflicting a devastating toll on the population: more than 150.000 deaths, and more than 12 millions displaced. The recent RSF exactions in El Fasher have been extremely brutal, with more than 2000 civilians dead in 48 hours.
For more info, follow sudan.updates on Instagram.
CISL and the UAE: a greenwashing partnership
Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi
He is head of sustainability at ADNOC and senior associate at CISL. He is also working for the UAE government.1
The Abu-Dhabi National Oil Corporation (ADNOC) is the biggest oil company in the UAE and the 12th biggest in the world, owned by the UAE government. You might know its CEO as the host of COP28.2
CISL recently told us they were not working with oil companies – this seems to have been untrue.
CISL sells executive education to emirati groups.
They also organise events in Dubai, and have strong links with financial institutions there.3 Their ambassador for the Middle East works for the World Trade Center in Dubai4.
CISL openly boast about their interventions for big real estate & tourism industry groups based in Dubai.5 Real estate and tourism is a huge part in the UAE strategy of diversification from oil&gas. These industries are part of its soft power: what helps it finance wars without facing repercussions.
What should change?
CISL must drop Ibrahim Al’Zubi and investigate their other associates for connections with the fossil fuel industry and genocide financing.
CISL must cut all ties to genocidal states. It is not ethical to sustain the economies of Israel and the UAE as they profit from atrocities.
We continue to stand against CISL’s model of extractive, colonial “sustainability”. We know it is possible for academic institutions to lend their power to grassroots justice movements. Put people over profits, and imagine a world beyond the extractivist capitalism system.
See our social media posts about it:
Sources
- Source: “Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi”. Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2025-11-03. ↩︎
- Source: “Abu Dhabi National Oil Company”. Wikipedia. ↩︎
- Source: “Middle East: Executive Education”. Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2025-11-22. ↩︎
- Source: “Shyrose Osman”. Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). University of Cambridge. Retrieved 2025-11-22. ↩︎
- Source: “GREEN FINANCE FRAMEWORK” (PDF). Majid Al Futtaim. Majid Al Futtaim. 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2025-11-03. ↩︎