DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —

American rapper Macklemore has announced the cancellation of his concert scheduled for October in Dubai. He made this decision in response to the United Arab Emirates’ involvement in the ongoing “genocide and humanitarian crisis” in Sudan, citing the UAE’s alleged support for a paramilitary group fighting against government forces.

This announcement has once again brought attention to the UAE’s controversial role in the conflict in Sudan. The UAE has consistently denied claims of providing arms to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and backing their leader, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. However, United Nations experts revealed in January that there was “credible” evidence indicating that the UAE was supplying weapons to the RSF multiple times a week from northern Chad.

Sudan has been in turmoil since mid-April 2023, when tensions between military and paramilitary leaders erupted in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other areas, including Darfur. The violence has claimed over 18,800 lives, with more than 10 million people displaced from their homes and hundreds of thousands facing the threat of famine.

During a heated U.N. Security Council meeting in June, Sudan’s struggling government accused the UAE of arming the RSF, prompting a sharp response from an Emirati diplomat who told his counterpart to stop “grandstanding.” The UAE is also involved in ongoing peace negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict.

As of now, the Emirati Foreign Ministry and Dubai Media Office have not responded to Macklemore’s statement. Concert organizers announced last week that the show is canceled and that refunds will be provided, but they did not give a specific reason for the cancellation.

In a post on Instagram on Saturday, Grammy award winner Macklemore explained that many people had urged him to cancel the performance in solidarity with the people of Sudan and to boycott the UAE due to its involvement in the ongoing crisis.

Macklemore revealed that his decision was influenced by his recent public support for Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. He has started performing a song titled “Hind’s Hall” to honor Hind Rajab, a young girl killed in Gaza, during an incident blamed on Israeli forces.

“I understand that this might hurt my chances of performing in the region in the future, and I genuinely dislike disappointing my fans,” he stated. “I was looking forward to the show. However, until the UAE stops providing arms and funding to the RSF, I won’t perform there.”

He further stated, “I don’t judge other artists who choose to perform in the UAE, but I do pose a question to my fellow musicians scheduled to play in Dubai: If we used our platforms for collective liberation, what could we achieve?”

The RSF originated from the Janjaweed militia under former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was in power for three decades before being overthrown in a popular uprising in 2019. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and other crimes committed during the Darfur conflict in the 2000s.

Dubai, known for its iconic landmarks like the Burj Khalifa and its aim to attract top entertainers to its new venues, has faced challenges in hosting performances due to its strict regulations on free speech. This has been noted by other artists, including American comedian Dave Chappelle, who drew attention in May during a performance in Abu Dhabi by referring to the Israel-Hamas conflict as a “genocide” while also commenting humorously on the UAE’s extensive surveillance system.

Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, is a 41-year-old rapper who gained fame with his hit song “Thrift Shop,” which won Grammy awards in 2014.