The war in Sudan began in April 2023, and it is still ongoing. The involvement of foreign nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE has worsened the war. These nations provide various weapons and military forces to the Sudanese troops. Due to this illegal help, the conflict intensifies and there is no chance of peace.
Both nations, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have their interests behind this war, while trillions of Sudanese people suffer. More than 20,000 people lost their lives and many were displaced. The people need urgent help to survive. Nowadays, Sudan is on the verge of catastrophic famine.
Due to the involvement of Gulf nations, peace talks efforts have failed. The interference of these countries is prolonging the war. Both generals involved, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed “Hemedti” Dagalo, have been accused of war crimes. Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to back them, further complicating any chance for peace.
The neighboring nations of Sudan are involved in different smuggling of weapons. In these countries, arms entered from places like Libya and Chad. Iran and the United Arab Emirates are the two top nations that supply these weapons. Both the UAE and Iran violate a United Nations arms embargo. The involvement of the UAE in Sudan’s war is significant and it greatly supports the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with the help of Russia and Libya.
UAE’s support for RSF
The true intentions of the UAE are uncertain. The nation may want to control Sudan’s interests and strategic location. Since 2018, the UAE has invested a large amount in Sudan approximately, $6 billion, utilizing its power to influence the economy and military. By strengthening both the army and the RSF, the UAE also helped block Sudan’s move towards democracy.
Despite denying it, there is clear evidence that the UAE supports the RSF. Its involvement in Sudan’s war is increasingly being exposed, especially after rapper Macklemore canceled his Dubai concert, criticizing the UAE’s role in the conflict.
The United Arab Emirates’ actions towards Sudan highlight its approach. The nation has aimed to align with local forces to secure its interests in the Middle East and East Africa. The UAE collaborates with Russia in order to support the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through the Wagner Group. It has operated in Sudan since 2017. Their focus is on extracting resources, especially in Darfur.
According to the latest reports by the United Nations, the UAE has used networks in various cities to secretly send weapons to the RSF. The included nations are Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Sudan’s war and the UAE’s role
The UAE’s main goal in Sudan is to gain control over gold and agricultural products. Gold, in particular, fuels the conflict and benefits the UAE. Most of the gold smuggled from Sudan ends up in the UAE, where it is laundered and sold. In 2022, the UAE officially imported $2.3 billion worth of Sudanese gold. This reflects how deeply involved the UAE is in Sudan’s economy.
Since 2007, food security has been the central focus of the UAE, and for this purpose, the nation imports 90% of its food. To fulfill its requirements, the nation invested in farming over 50,000 hectares in Sudan and built a new port in 2022 to control food shipments. All of these actions highlight that for the UAE, its own interests are a priority rather than Sudan’s stability.
The UAE has used the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of war crimes, to secure its farming projects in Sudan. Despite accusations from the UN and Human Rights Watch about the RSF’s crimes, there has been little international pressure on the UAE for its involvement.
The UAE is using RSF to protect its business interests. This action makes the conflict worse. The global community’s failure to hold the UAE accountable allows the conflict to continue, leading to more suffering. If unchecked, this could push Sudan into a deeper humanitarian disaster.