Protests at UAE Embassy in Sudan Against Exploitation of Sudanese Workers

Dozens of protesters have gathered at the UAE Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan on Sunday, 26 January 2020 to protest against an Emirati company called UAE Black Shield Security Services that has been accused of falsely hiring Sudanese men for security posts in the UAE and instead, sending recruits to fight in Yemen and Libya.

The story first broke out after one of the victims released a video message asking the interim government for help. The hashtag #انقذوا_ضحايا_الشركه_الاماراتيه has been trending on social media, which translates to ‘Save the victims of the Emirati company’, where social media users and activist have denounced the exploitation of these young men who have signed contracts to work as security men in the UAE, not to fight in wars in Yemen and Libya.

#Sudan families accuse an Emirati firm of recruiting their youth to work as security guards in #UAE then forcing them into military training camp & sending them to fight in #Libya & #Yemen.
A hashtag re this topic trending#انقذوا_ضحايا_الشركه_الاماراتيهpic.twitter.com/6UoNHrjoWI

— Morad News (@MoradNews) January 25, 2020

On Sunday, 26 January 2020, Musab Gamal tweeted a picture of his brother, Munther Gamal, who has fallen victim to the scam, and said, ‘This is my younger brother Munther, who is among the people who have been deceived by the Emirati company. I’ve contacted him and assured me that he is well and that they are currently on strike, refusing to travel to the countries they are being forced to travel to. An officer has visited them and told them they will travel [to Sudan] on the 28th of this month’.

دا منذر اخوي الصغير من ضمن الناس الخدعتهم الشركه الإماراتية اتواصلت معاهو وطمنا قال هو كويس وحاليا مضربين وقدمو استقالتهم ورفضو السفرللمناطق القالوها ليهم قالي جانا ضابط قال السفر يوم التلاته الجايه دي يعني يوم 28شهر واحد الناس ديل لو تابع الثريد..#انقذوا_ضحايا_الشركه_الاماراتيه pic.twitter.com/9QKyjFePsW

— Musab Gmal (@GmalMusab) January 25, 2020

The UAE Black Shield Security Services stated that it is specialised in providing private security guards, and denied all allegations of deception, camouflage, misleading or forcing any of its employees concerning the nature of the company’s activities, system, location or staff.

كتب حنفي حامد:
تعاقدت شركة بلاك شيلد الإماراتية بالباطن مع وكالة الأميرة وفي الظاهر مع وكالة أماندا
عقود العمل جميعها وهمية عقود بمهنة سكيورتي والوظيفة مرتزقة، عدد الشباب التي قامت بتسفيرهم إلى #الامارات حتى الآن ٨٢٤ شخص…#انقذوا_ضحايا_الشركه_الاماراتيه pic.twitter.com/3z2vDpmYLn

— Mohamed Mustafa (@Moh_Jamea) January 27, 2020

According to Musab Gamal, the UAE Black Shield Security Services has been able to recruit workers from Sudan through a company called Amanda in Khartoum. Once they’ve arrived in the UAE, they were taken to military training camps then were told they will travel to an unknown location. Some refused while others traveled and are currently considered “missing”.

سودانيون يعبرون عن غضبهم من تجنيد أبناء وطنهم في #الإمارات للزج بهم في القتال باليمن أو ليبيا وذلك عبر وسم #أنقذوا_ضحايا_الشركه_الإماراتيه #نشرتكم pic.twitter.com/lRRPKYszFI

— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) January 26, 2020

With the scam operating for several months, it is believed that hundreds of Sudanese men have fallen into the scam.