UAE exposed as key backer of Sudan’s RSF militia amid war crimes in Darfur

The UAE’s role in fuelling atrocities in Sudan has been further exposed by a new investigation by The Sunday Times, which corroborates earlier UN findings linking Emirati weapons and gold routes to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia widely accused of committing war crimes in Darfur. 

Despite repeated denials by Abu Dhabi, mounting evidence shows that the Gulf state has channelled arms, cash and logistical support to the RSF in breach of international law, exacerbating a proxy conflict that has devastated civilian life across Sudan.

The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”), evolved from the notorious Janjaweed militias responsible for ethnic cleansing in Darfur two decades ago. Today, bolstered by foreign arms and illicit gold revenue, it is one of Africa’s most powerful irregular forces. 

According to The Sunday Times, weapons traced from a remote checkpoint in North Darfur to a Bulgarian arms factory reveal that mortar rounds sold to the UAE in 2019 were later intercepted in RSF convoys, a clear violation of re-export agreements.

“UN monitors and US intelligence agencies have reportedly mapped out strong evidence alleging the complicity of the UAE in the flow of arms to Sudan,” Michael Jones of the Royal United Services Institute is reported saying. He added that, via a network of middlemen in Chad, Libya, Uganda and the Central African Republic, the RSF has acquired drones, howitzers, vehicles and ammunition.

In April, a leaked UN panel report documented “multiple” Emirati cargo flights into Chad, deliberately disguised to evade detection. While the UAE insists these were humanitarian, investigators flagged inconsistencies in cargo manifests and serialised munitions linked to Emirati depots. RSF commanders have also publicly boasted of foreign assistance.

The deeper motive, analysts suggest, lies in Abu Dhabi’s ambition to reassert regional dominance. “The United Arab Emirates are seeking to cement their position as a middle-order power,” said Ahmed Soliman of Chatham House. He noted that the RSF aligns with the UAE’s anti-Islamist strategy, making Hemedti a convenient proxy.

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While the UAE has armed a militia group accused of committing genocide, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have supported the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the official national army. Both countries fear the RSF’s destabilising reach and ideological links. Iran, too, has quietly supplied drones to the SAF, while Turkey’s defence exports have flowed to both sides. Meanwhile, Libya’s Khalifa Haftar has offered the RSF a corridor across the desert and rear bases in eastern Libya.

British arms components have also surfaced on Sudan’s battlefields. Although initially sold to the UAE under legal export licences, some are said to have been re-exported to Sudan in breach of end-use restrictions. This has raised further questions about the UK’s complicity and the efficacy of its arms control mechanisms.

Behind the arms lies a lucrative driver of war: gold. The RSF controls significant mining areas in Darfur, smuggling bullion through Chad and the Central African Republic to Dubai, where it enters Emirati markets largely unregulated. This illicit trade provides the RSF with a critical financial lifeline and grants foreign sponsors profit and influence.

El-Fasher, the last holdout in Darfur, fell to the RSF in late October after an 18-month siege. Satellite imagery showed blood pooling in streets; survivors spoke of mass rape, forced displacement and massacres. UN officials and human rights groups say the atrocities may amount to ethnic cleansing.

“The RSF are capable of fighting indefinitely with current backing,” warned Soliman. “The question is whether their sponsors genuinely seek a ceasefire—or a victory.”

READ: Sudan calls on international community to pressure UAE over alleged arms support to Rapid Support Forces