Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, has used his platform to speak out against conflicts in Sudan, Palestine, and Ukraine, urging the public to pay attention to the suffering of innocent people. His comments come amid growing scrutiny over the UAE's involvement in the Sudan civil war, given that Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, vice-president of the UAE, owns Manchester City.
Speaking before City's Carabao Cup match against Newcastle, Guardiola said: 'Never in the history of humanity have we had the info in front of our eyes more clearly than now. The genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened all around the world – in Sudan, everywhere. What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It’s our problem as human beings.'
The Sudan conflict, which has claimed over 150,000 lives, involves the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group backed by the UAE despite official denials. The RSF has been accused of mass killings in El Fasher. The UAE has admitted errors in policy over its support for the RSF, with senior envoy Anwar Gargash acknowledging that sanctions were not imposed on instigators of the 2021 coup.
Guardiola also referenced the recent shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minneapolis, saying: 'There is not a perfect society, nowhere is perfect, I am not perfect, but we have to work to be better.' He reiterated his commitment to using his position to advocate for humanitarian causes, stating: 'Protecting the human being is the only thing we have. Right now, we kill each other, for what?'
