UAE’s Sudan Involvement Unveiled: Stirring Confusion and Controversy

The administrative structures of the UAE are experiencing significant turmoil and confusion following revelations of their involvement in Sudan, where they supported armed groups to fuel the civil war, all as part of Abu Dhabi’s strategic efforts to expand its influence.

In the latest sign of this, the Times of London newspaper revealed that the UAE government canceled meetings with British ministers after it was accused of financing paramilitary groups in Sudan.

In April, the UN Security Council convened a session at the urging of the United Kingdom concerning the Sudanese civil conflict that erupted in April of the previous year, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians. During the meeting, the Sudanese delegate seized the opportunity to allege UAE support for the Rapid Support militias.

Former minister Nadim Zahawi stated in an interview with The Times that the UAE temporarily halted all ministerial engagements with the UK due to their perception of Britain’s inadequate response. Zahawi noted that the Emiratis expressed their frustration over the UK’s perceived passivity towards Sudanese accusations against them.

“This is the same Sudanese faction that claims that the alliance with Iran is not anti-Western or anti-Israel,” he added.

According to information obtained by The Times, four upcoming ministerial meetings have been scrapped as a result of the dispute, adding to existing strains in the relationship between the UAE and the UK. This tension follows the UK government’s intervention to prevent the acquisition of the Daily Telegraph newspaper by an investor backed by Abu Dhabi.

The conflict in Sudan has been raging between the National Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since their confrontation began last April. This ongoing strife has resulted in the world’s most significant humanitarian crisis, with 8.5 million individuals displaced and 25 million requiring humanitarian aid.

In the Darfur region of western Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias with UAE support launched a campaign of killings, looting, and other violence against members of African ethnic groups, bringing back memories of the genocide that occurred in the mid-2000s.

Approximately 10,000 to 15,000 individuals were killed in one town, as per a leaked UN report in January. The UN report also considered claims of the UAE supplying weapons to the Rapid Support Forces through a desert air base in neighboring Chad, from where flights depart “several times a week,” as “credible.”

European parliamentarians have previously condemned the UAE for financing “war crimes and rape” in Sudan, which has been witnessing internal fighting since April 15, 2023.

Internal fighting continues between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which Sudanese officials and official American and European reports have confirmed have received political, military, and financial funding and support from the UAE.

The Strasbourg Policy Center, renowned for international policy discussions, hosted a dialogue session titled “Examining the UAE’s Involvement in Sudanese War Crimes,” as reported by the Europe Scope on Middle East issues.

During the event, a distinguished panel of European experts delved into the complex dynamics surrounding the UAE’s involvement in Sudan’s civil war.

The speakers thoroughly examined the different dimensions of the UAE’s involvement in the conflict, offering detailed analysis and emphasizing its strategic objectives and operational approaches.

The first speech was given by Giovanni Baretta, a parliamentary collaborator in the Senate and the House of Representatives and European affairs specialist from Italy.

Baretta emphasized the significance of regional countries and global powers halting their support for Sudan’s conflict. He highlighted the UAE’s efforts to destabilize Sudan by backing Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti,” leader of the Rapid Support Forces, who is targeting the legitimate government.

Baretta pointed out that the intricacies of the Sudanese conflict, marked by various factions vying for power amid longstanding grievances, demand a cautious approach. This includes measures to prevent external parties like the UAE from backing particular figures.

He highlighted the harsh realities of Sudan’s history, where prolonged civil strife has ravaged the nation, displacing millions and leaving lasting scars on society. As Sudan embarks on a delicate journey toward democracy, it is imperative to carefully assess any actions that could potentially escalate the conflict.

For his part, Luca Antonio Pepe, an expert in international relations and parliamentary collaborator, remarked that the UAE’s backing of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan’s civil war has faced condemnation from observers, who argue that it exacerbates the violence.

Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of risk consultancy Gulf State Analytics, asserted that the UAE’s assistance to Rapid Support Forces Commander Hemedti significantly contributed to his achievements on the battlefield.

He warned that Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, adopted a tough approach towards the UAE. This included expelling 15 Emirati diplomats in December due to the UAE’s ongoing backing of the Rapid Support Forces.

He highlighted that this action followed a period during which Al-Burhan’s faction had been practicing restraint and diplomacy, refraining from engaging in direct verbal clashes with key actors like Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, Russia, and Abu Dhabi.

He remarked, “Haftar, along with the Russian Wagner Group mercenaries and the UAE, maintains ties with the Rapid Support Forces and personally with Hemedti. Haftar and Wagner initially provided weapons to the Rapid Support Forces during the early stages of the conflict, utilizing Wagner aircraft stationed in southern Libya.”

He added, “The Wagner Company, which was recently renamed the Africa Corps, and the UAE have a long relationship with Hemedti through the extraction and smuggling of gold from the Jebel Amer mines in Darfur, which Hemedti controls.” Most of this gold ends up in the UAE, where it enters the international market.”

Baretta highlighted that Hemedti stores both his funds and those of the RSF in the UAE, where the RSF’s social media propaganda network is also based.

He noted that in 2019, which was four years before the conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces erupted, Hemedti acquired 1,000 vehicles from the Emirates, capable of being converted into “technical vehicles” equipped with machine guns.

Hemedti’s family company that bought those vehicles, Tradive General Trading, is also based in the UAE.

He stressed that amid the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the backing of external actors, notably the UAE, has gained significant importance, particularly as the international community advocates for a ceasefire. This insight was provided by Alex de Waal, Director of the World Peace Foundation.

Daniele Nadi, a European journalist and specialist in international and local affairs, examined the dire consequences of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan caused by internal conflict and the intervention of external parties supporting it.

Nadi stated that the warring parties in Sudan are using heavy weapons in densely populated areas, leading to dire consequences for civilians. In July 2023, the International Criminal Court opened an investigation into allegations of international crimes committed in Darfur.

He warned that the continuing conflict will worsen pre-existing vulnerabilities, introduce new ones, and result in significant civilian hardship. Recent reports suggest that over 13,000 individuals have lost their lives since April, though the data remains incomplete due to intense violence and restricted communication and access.

He noted that in 2023, Sudan became the second most dangerous place for humanitarian workers in the world, with at least 22 aid workers killed, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. Medical personnel and infrastructure are also increasingly being targeted, with 60 attacks verified by the World Health Organization since April 15, 2023.

Furthermore, there is an increasing concern about food insecurity, as indicated by the latest projections from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released in December. These projections suggest that approximately 17.7 million people will confront high levels of acute food insecurity between October 2023 and February 2024, with nearly 5 million facing emergency conditions.

The conflict has triggered significant waves of involuntary migration, with over 7.7 million individuals displaced thus far, of which more than 6 million, including at least 3 million children as reported by UNICEF, are internally displaced. Among the 1.6 million individuals outside Sudan, the majority are highly vulnerable women and children.