Diplomatic Sources: UAE Pushes for Sudan’s Partition Two Years After Fueling Civil War

Arab and Western diplomatic sources confirm that the UAE has been executing a covert plan for weeks to push for the partition of Sudan. This comes two years after Abu Dhabi played a central role in igniting the civil war and sowing chaos in the country to serve its strategic interests.

The UAE’s move toward Sudan’s division is unsurprising, as it has supported similar projects in other Arab nations, including Yemen and Libya, capitalizing on internal conflicts and instability to advance its agenda.

With increasing international scrutiny over its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, Abu Dhabi appears to view partition as a strategic option to maintain its influence in Sudan. The UAE has been supplying the RSF with weapons and funding, which has prolonged the devastating civil war.

Growing evidence suggests that RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti,” is preparing to declare an independent entity in the territories under his control, with direct backing from the UAE.

More than two years into the bloody conflict between the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, the UAE is working to establish a new geopolitical reality that threatens Sudan’s unity. The aim is to safeguard its interests and continue exploiting Sudan’s wealth and resources.

In Nairobi, Kenya, confidential meetings have taken place between RSF leaders and representatives of allied groups and tribal factions. Speculation suggests these discussions are paving the way for the announcement of a separatist government in areas controlled by Hemedti’s forces.

This development coincides with the Sudanese army’s recent battlefield victories, which have weakened the RSF and forced it to explore alternative strategies, heavily backed by its regional sponsor, the UAE.

As the army advanced militarily, the UAE proposed a ceasefire to Burhan for the month of Ramadan. However, the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council rejected the offer, demanding the RSF’s full surrender. In response, Mohammed bin Zayed appears to have shifted toward an alternative strategy—supporting the creation of a breakaway entity under Hemedti’s leadership.

A report in the British newspaper The Times noted that both sides of Sudan’s conflict have presented visions for the country’s future, effectively pushing Sudan toward de facto partition along the battle lines after two years of war.

The report highlighted a meeting between RSF leaders and a coalition of allied political factions on Tuesday, where they agreed on a charter outlining governance for the areas under RSF control.

Last month, the United States formally accused the RSF, which depends on Emirati military and financial assistance, of committing genocide.

Meanwhile, Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan proposed a “democratic political bloc” for governance, led by a civilian prime minister. The charter is expected to be signed this week, which could mark a pivotal moment in the civil war and potentially lead to Sudan’s division along battle lines, according to the report.

Given the ongoing conflict across multiple regions, neither side is likely to achieve full territorial dominance. The situation mirrors Libya, where two rival governments have controlled separate parts of the country for over a decade.

While the RSF was convening in Kenya, reports surfaced of massacres committed by its fighters, including the killing of more than 200 people—many of them children—in White Nile State. Numerous victims were reportedly slaughtered while attempting to cross the Nile River to escape, according to Emergency Lawyers, a group that documents human rights violations in Sudan.

The report clarified that the RSF does not fully control the state. Footage from the aftermath of the massacre in two villages near Khartoum revealed a mass grave filled with bodies wrapped in white shrouds.

This attack occurred amid intensified clashes and as the Sudanese army gained more ground in Khartoum.

The Times quoted Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, as saying that the RSF’s declaration of a “unity government” while losing key territories should be viewed with “deep skepticism.”

“They are attempting to achieve at the negotiating table what they have failed to accomplish on the battlefield,” he added.

The Sudanese conflict erupted in April 2023 after a failed agreement on power-sharing between government forces and the RSF. This deal was supposed to lead to democratic elections following the joint military coup in 2021.

The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced over 11 million people, and triggered what the International Rescue Committee describes as “the most severe humanitarian crisis ever documented.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it a catastrophe of “unprecedented scale and brutality.”

Both factions have been accused of committing war crimes, but the RSF has gained particular notoriety for carrying out ethnic cleansing and systematic sexual violence—especially in Darfur, which witnessed genocide over two decades ago.