Sudan’s Conflict: UAE Secretly Supports Sudan Faction Under Refugee Aid Cover
In a covert operation disguised as refugee aid, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been providing substantial support to one faction in the ongoing Sudan conflict, a recent investigation by The New York Times revealed.
Multiple sources, including both current and former officials hailing from the United States, Europe, and various African nations, have asserted that the UAE’s support encompasses the provision of weaponry, drones, medical care, and airlift services for injured combatants.
The operation is centered around an airfield and hospital located in a remote Chad town near the Sudanese border, where Emirati cargo planes have been landing frequently since June, The New York Times reported.
The UAE’s involvement in Sudan exemplifies its broader efforts to extend its influence in Africa by leveraging its wealth and military capabilities. In the Sudan conflict, evidence suggests the UAE is supporting the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.), a powerful paramilitary group associated with Russia’s Wagner mercenaries and accused of committing atrocities. The R.S.F. is engaged in a civil war against Sudan’s regular military, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties and millions of displaced people.
The UAE has defended its presence in the region as a humanitarian mission to assist Sudanese refugees, although the majority of refugees are situated hundreds of miles south, in camps with dire conditions. In reality, the UAE is using its aid mission to obscure its military backing of R.S.F. leader Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, also known as Hemeti, who has strong ties to the UAE.
The UAE’s expanding role in Africa includes business deals worth billions of dollars, armed support for various actors in regional conflicts, and efforts to broker peace agreements, often at odds with its military activities. Recent developments have shown General Hamdan’s fighters using Emirati-supplied Kornet anti-tank missiles in assaults on Sudanese military installations in Khartoum.
The Emirati foreign ministry has denied providing support to any side in Sudan’s conflict. The UAE’s growing ties with Russia and China have raised concerns among American officials, given its substantial military partnership with the United States.
The UAE’s involvement in Sudan has drawn criticism for appearing to support both peace and conflict simultaneously, undermining efforts to achieve stability in the region. Critics view the UAE’s actions as contradictory and detrimental to the pursuit of peace and stability in Sudan.
