Macklemore wants to raise awareness of the ‘urgent humanitarian crisis’ in Sudan and its links with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after cancelling Dubai show. The Thrift Shop hitmaker announced the cancellation of his show in Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena this October on Instagram with a lengthy message explaining his reasoning behind the decision which he did ‘not take lightly’. The singer explained that he has been contacted by several people over recent months urging him to cancel the show to offer ‘solidarity’ with the people of Sudan and ‘boycott’ the UAE and its ongoing involvement in the conflict there.
In July, the Guardian reported on a 41-page document sent to the UN Security Council which provided evidence of Emirati passports allegedly found in Sudan linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – a paramilitary force who have been embroiled in a 16-month conflict with the Sudanese government . A month earlier each country’s representatives on the UN Security Council had already clashed over the allegations, with UAE ambassador Mohamed Abushahab calling it ‘ludicrous’, according to Reuters . Meanwhile, the crisis in Sudan deepens as the UN says nearly 25 million people need aid, there is the risk of famine and around eight million people have been displaced.
Macklemore has called the crisis in Sudan ‘catastrophic’. ‘At the end of the day I have to ask myself, what is my intention as an artist,’ he continued, reflecting on his education on �.