Evidence is emerging that the United Arab Emirates is indirectly fueling Sudan’s civil war through arms and gold, despite repeated denials, according to reporting by Times UK. A convoy stopped at a remote army checkpoint in North Darfur in April revealed mortar rounds marked in Cyrillic, which United Nations investigators traced to a Bulgarian arms factory and, ultimately, to the UAE. The weapons, originally purchased by the Emirates in 2019, appear to have been diverted to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), turning Sudan’s conflict into a proxy war for foreign powers.
The RSF, once a desert militia descended from the notorious Janjaweed, has transformed into one of Africa’s most heavily armed irregular armies under leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. According to UN monitors and U.S. intelligence, the RSF has received a broad range of weaponry — from drones and howitzers to vehicles and ammunition — funneled through networks spanning Libya, Chad, Uganda, and the Central African Republic. While the UAE insists it has provided only humanitarian aid and calls for a ceasefire, investigations and patterns of cargo and munitions suggest otherwise.
Other regional actors are involved as well. Saudi Arabia and Egypt back the Sudanese Armed Forces to counter the RSF and its alliances, while Iran has quietly supplied drones and missiles to the army. Turkey and Libya’s Khalifa Haftar have also contributed drones, bases, and corridors to facilitate arms transfers. Meanwhile, the RSF profits from Sudan’s gold mines, smuggling bullion through Chad and the Central African Republic to Dubai, providing funds to buy weapons and sustain combat operations.
The humanitarian toll is severe. Towns in Darfur and Kordofan have been emptied, markets destroyed, aid convoys looted, and famine warnings issued across western Sudan. Satellite images and eyewitness accounts have documented mass killings, abductions, and rapes, highlighting a crisis reminiscent of the Darfur genocide two decades ago. Diplomats and human rights groups are calling for investigations into potential breaches of UN arms embargoes, while Washington reportedly negotiates for a three-month humanitarian truce.
“The RSF are capable of fighting indefinitely with current backing,” said Ahmed Soliman, a Chatham House research fellow. “Pressure on the warring parties might enable a ceasefire, but the question is whether they are genuinely interested in stopping the slaughter.” For now, the fighting continues, sustained by gold, guns, and the quiet complicity of those who could intervene.
