As a result of the United Arab Emirates’ alleged support for the Rapid Support Forces, Sudan has said it would cut ties with the Middle Eastern country.
- Sudan announced it would cut ties with the UAE over allegations of support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
- The RSF, formed in 2013, is a powerful paramilitary group in Sudan currently in conflict with the Sudanese government.
- Reports suggest the UAE has supplied the RSF with advanced weaponry, escalating the conflict, though the UAE denies these claims.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are a prominent paramilitary force in Sudan that sprang from the Janjaweed militias that fought in Darfur in the early 2000s.
The Sudanese government formally formed the RSF in 2013 as a counterinsurgency force. It has subsequently developed into one of the most powerful military players in the country, and is currently locked in a conflict with the Sudanese government.
A report as seen on Reuters shows that since Sunday, the RSF has been able to carry out destructive raids on infrastructure in the city of Port Sudan thanks to the UAE’s alleged provision of sophisticated and strategic weaponry, which has significantly escalated the two-year-old battle.
As a result, Sudan has made the call to cut off ties with the UAE. However, the UAE has denied all allegations.
In a statement, the council declared that the United Arab Emirates “reserves the right to respond to the aggression by every means to preserve the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” therefore designating it as an “aggressor state.”
The UAE has long been suspected by Sudan’s army of supplying the RSF.
Despite the UAE’s dismissals, some U.N. experts and US elected officials have deemed the assertion real, citing data from human rights organizations’ reports on the weapons delivery.
A U.N. panel of experts’ most recent report, released in April, only mentioned the UAE regarding its participation in peace negotiations in Sudan.
UAE and Sudan’s rift
Late in April, UAE state media reported that authorities had thwarted an attempt by Sudanese military leaders and associates to smuggle ammunition to Sudan’s army illegally.
According to the WAM news agency, security personnel seized around five million rounds of ammunition aboard a private aircraft at an undisclosed airport and made many arrests.
Even as far back as 2023, the Sudanese government has declared openly its allegations of the UAE’s interference in its internal affairs.
Over the years, the UAE has been accused of providing military aid and weaponry to numerous African countries, including authoritarian regimes and military juntas, raising worries about its role in fostering instability and undermining democratic governance.
