SEAToday.com, Jakarta - American rapper Macklemore said that he would cancel a concert in Dubai. This was triggered by the ongoing crisis in Sudan and the role of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the "genocide and humanitarian crisis in the region."
The owner of the full name Benjamin Hammond Haggerty revealed this through a post on his personal Instagram account, Saturday, 24 August 2024. Macklemore said he made this decision after 10 months of witnessing Israeli atrocities in the war in Gaza, as well as violence in Sudan.
The 41-year-old said that the decision was made after many of his fans and supporters urged him to cancel the event. Many also shared sources detailing what was happening in Sudan.
He explained the situation in Sudan in his post, highlighting that more than 10 million people have been displaced, and millions more face imminent starvation and sexual violence.
"While numerous external forces contribute to this crisis, advocates, organisers, journalists and officials repeatedly highlight the UAE’s role in funding the RSF militia as a major factor," he wrote.
According to The New Arab, violence in Sudan erupted in April 2023, with the UAE accused of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Human rights groups have documented the RSF's involvement in the murder, rape and looting of the non-Arab population in West Darfur.
While the UAE has denied supplying arms or ammunition to any of the warring factions in Sudan, Human Rights Watch has previously said that the violence in Sudan could amount to genocide. At least 150,000 people have been killed in the violence in Sudan, including many children.
"If I take the money while knowing it doesn’t sit right with my spirit, how am I any different than the politicians I’ve been actively protesting? How can I be outraged by their lack of integrity while compromising my own? How am I different than the countries that put dollars and power over human life?" he continued.
"We have been intentionally conditioned to be apathetic on issues outside of our personal needs. But the plight of Palestinian people has woken the world up… although dismantling systematic oppression might not fully happen during my lifetime, our collective analysis is evolving," Macklemore said.
