Macklemore canceled an upcoming October concert in Dubai, citing the United Arab Emirates’ role in the “ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis” in Sudan. Since April of last year, the African nation has been mired in , with the government accusing the UAE of fueling the conflict by funding and arming a rival paramilitary force — an allegation that the Arab country The Grammy-winning artist said he reached the decision “after careful thought, numerous conversations with trusted organizers and friends and my own reading/research.” He in a lengthy Instagram post Saturday, “I don’t take this decision lightly and think it’s important to explain why.
” “Over the last several months, I’ve had a number of people reach out to me, sharing resources and asking me to cancel the show in solidarity with the people of Sudan and to boycott doing business in UAE for the role they are playing in the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis in the region,” the rapper wrote. “It was important for me to learn and really get a grasp on the situation. I never wanted to make a decision out of fear but a measured one from the heart.
” Per the , more than 10 million have been displaced by the conflict, with over 25 million individuals (more than half the population of Sudan) facing acute hunger as a result of the crisis. Three-quarters of a million people are on the brink of famine. Sexual violence and rape is toward women and girls, with the that genocide, ethnic cleansi.