Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been called on by the human rights organisation FairSquare to be examined by the UK government over his alleged connections to possible support from the United Arab Emirates to the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The RSF stands accused of numerous alleged war crimes during the war, with aid agencies and US officials saying at least 150,000 people have died during the past two years.
The UAE has firmly denied being involved or taking either side. Questions have been raised about its involvement by the European Union and the UN, without a decision being made either way.
FairSquare said “senior UAE individuals could be in scope to be designated under the UK’s financial sanction regulations,” with their spokesperson suggesting “Sheikh Mansour would be a very obvious point of leverage” if the government decides to proceed with sanctions.
It could lead to him being pressured into relinquishing his ownership in an enormous change of ownership in the sport if action is taken by the British government, a similar event to that which occurred when the Russian owner of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, was sanctioned following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was forced to sell the club.
For now, though, nothing has been done, but the situation presents a fresh quandary over world politics and club ownership.
