The Sudanese government has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of fueling the ongoing conflict in Sudan by supplying weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), further intensifying the 17-month war. Sudanese Ambassador Al-Harith Mohamed made the allegations during a U.N. Security Council meeting, where members voted to extend an arms embargo on Darfur until September 2025. He claimed that the UAE was providing the RSF with heavy weapons, including missiles, and benefiting from illegal gold exploitation in Sudan, thus profiting from the war. Mohamed pointed to a recent arms shipment that passed through Chad to the RSF and accused the UAE of using Sudan’s gold market for financial gain. He called for a review of arms export policies to the UAE and targeted sanctions against those supporting the paramilitary forces.

In response, UAE Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab dismissed the accusations as “baseless” and described them as an attempt to divert attention from the failures of Sudan’s military, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). He criticized the SAF for its refusal to engage in peace negotiations and accused them of using starvation as a tactic of war. Abushahab urged the Sudanese military to demonstrate “political courage” by participating in peace talks, noting that the SAF had boycotted negotiations in Geneva, while the RSF had sent representatives.

Despite these allegations, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to worsen, with 13 million displaced, over 20,000 killed, and mass famine spreading in Darfur. Experts warn that 25.6 million people are facing acute hunger, and U.N. reports have accused both the SAF and RSF of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Some human rights organizations and members of the U.N. Security Council have urged an expansion of the arms embargo to cover all of Sudan, but these efforts have so far failed.

Human Rights Watch criticized the council’s decision not to extend the sanctions, warning that without more robust measures, the flow of arms will continue to exacerbate the atrocities in Sudan. However, the UAE’s alleged involvement raises questions about the role of foreign powers in prolonging the conflict. While the Sudanese government’s claims have yet to be fully substantiated, the ongoing arms shipments to the RSF suggest that external actors like the UAE may be playing a more significant role in sustaining the war than publicly acknowledged. This, in turn, complicates international efforts to bring both parties to the negotiating table and highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to peacebuilding in the region. 

The UAE’s denial of the allegations and its criticism of the SAF for avoiding negotiations underscore the complexity of the conflict. Nonetheless, the accusations point to the broader issue of foreign influence in Sudan, with arms sales and economic interests potentially taking precedence over peace and stability. As the humanitarian crisis deepens, the international community must carefully scrutinize the involvement of external powers, including the UAE, to ensure that peace talks are not undermined by those benefiting from the conflict.