Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of arming its rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and thereby extending the 17-month war that has devastated the country. This accusation was made during a UN Security Council meeting, where the council unanimously voted to extend the arms embargo in Sudan’s Darfur region until September 2025.
The conflict erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s military and the RSF, spreading violence across the country and creating a severe humanitarian crisis. The UN estimates over 20,000 people have died, and more than 13 million have been displaced.
Sudanese Ambassador Al-Harith Mohamed alleged that the UAE had supplied heavy weapons, missiles, and ammunition to the RSF and had exploited Sudanese gold. He pointed to a recent weapons shipment through Chad and claimed that the UAE was benefiting from Sudanese gold through a European bullion market.
In response, UAE’s Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab dismissed these allegations as “utterly false” and accused the Sudanese government of avoiding peace talks. He criticized the Sudanese military for refusing to negotiate and using starvation as a tactic of war.
The Sudanese military had boycotted recent peace talks in Geneva, despite international pressure. The RSF, however, participated in the negotiations.
The UN Security Council’s extension of the arms embargo was aimed at addressing the humanitarian situation in Darfur, where famine conditions have worsened. Human Rights Watch criticized the council’s failure to extend the embargo nationwide, calling it a missed opportunity to curb the violence.
The international community remains focused on advancing peace in Sudan, with calls for restraint on arms supplies to all parties involved in the conflict. The ICC has indicated potential war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed by both sides.