Macklemore, the Grammy-winning star has created a storm by canceling his concert in dubai as he pointed out human rights abuses owing to what he considers the UAE’s support for Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF engaged in the ongoing fighting in Sudan, and several countries have accused it of committing human rights violations which escalated the humanitarian crisis.
Exercising his right of free speech, Macklemore went ahead to post a statement on his sociquette which contained no praise whatsoever concerning the international community’s stance on the crisis in Sudan, calling UAE and other countries out as culpable of providing arms and material to fund the RSF. Instead, conscience does not permit him to go ‘to those parts of the world where governments are promoting or supporting paramilitary organizations that displace millions of people’ and kill innocent civilians by the dozens.
It is one thing; however, for Macklemore to cancel the Dubai concert. It is even more surprising for this to happen considering how popular Macklemore is in the Middle East and the fact that the UAE has been trying to project to the wannabe tourists how culturally and entertainment wise productive the country is. Macklemore’s move is bold considering how imperious the state’s arguments in behavior toward Sudan are but is also a great act of support to the people of Sudan.
Humanitarian crisis began in April 2023 and has left millions of people displaced and many more dead. RSF was created in 2013 but eventually has become one of the forces in Sudan embroiled in accusations of war crimes. Although the UAE officially denied furnishing the RSF with any weapons, there has been an increasing amount of evidence pointing towards the fact that the group is receiving aid from the UAE.
Most notably, the recent protest staged by Macklemore turned into growing debates concerning whether it is right to do business with countries which abuse human rights. It remains to be seen whether his choice is going to affect the conflict in broader Sudan, yet, he has managed to capture attention on a global scale and made the UAE reconsider its involvement in the current crisis.
