The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has firmly rejected allegations by Amnesty International accusing it of supplying Chinese-made weapons to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in a brutal civil war with the Sudanese army.
The UAE’s Assistant Minister for Security and Military Affairs, Salem Aljaberi, dismissed the claims as “baseless and lacking substantiated evidence,” emphasizing that the UAE has not provided weaponry to any party involved in the Sudan conflict.
Amnesty International’s report identified Chinese GB50A guided bombs and 155mm AH-4 howitzers in RSF attacks on Khartoum and Darfur, suggesting the UAE as the sole importer of these howitzers from China in a 2019 deal.
However, Aljaberi countered that the howitzers are widely available on the international market and that the assertion of exclusive procurement by the UAE is invalid.
This denial comes amid a series of reports and investigations indicating foreign involvement in Sudan’s civil war. The Washington Post reported that confidential assessments and evidence from captured weapons suggest the UAE and Iran have secretly supplied munitions and drones to both the RSF and the Sudanese military.
Additionally, Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented the presence of UAE-manufactured armored personnel carriers and other military equipment in Sudan, raising concerns about violations of international arms embargoes.
Despite the UAE’s denials, the Sudanese government has severed diplomatic ties with the UAE, accusing it of arming the RSF with advanced weapons systems used in attacks on cities like Port Sudan.
The UAE maintains that it does not take sides in the conflict and has called for de-escalation and diplomatic dialogue.
As the conflict continues, with over 150,000 deaths and millions displaced, the international community faces increasing pressure to investigate and address the flow of arms into Sudan.
The situation underscores the complexity of foreign involvement in the conflict and the challenges in enforcing international arms embargoes.
