Sudan accuses UAE of sponsoring ongoing war with fire arms: summary

What we know

• Sudan has levelled allegations against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for supplying weapons to the opposing Sudanese paramilitary unit, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), amidst the persistent strife tearing through the nation. This charge forms part of Khartoum's recent series of objections to what it claims to be undue influence from Abu Dhabi.
• In a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting held on Tuesday, June 18, Sudan's representative to the UN, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed, charged the UAE with providing arms to the RSF militia.
• He asserted that the Sudanese government holds proof of this arms provision, which it intends to compile and present to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• Mohamed's remarks were made more than a year following the commencement of the current civil conflict in Sudan and just five months after a UN dossier prepared for the UNSC, which asserted the existence of "credible" proof that the UAE had been dispatching armaments to the RSF "frequently each week" through northern Chad.
• To date, the Emirati authorities have refuted these allegations. This stance was reiterated in the recent UNSC meeting, where the UAE's envoy, Mohamed Abushahab, dismissed Sudan's claims as "ludicrous," suggesting they were a deflection from serious issues occurring on the ground.
• Conflict broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) amid discussions on transitioning to democratic elections.
• According to the UN, close to 25 million individuals—representing half of Sudan's populace—are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, with a famine on the horizon and approximately eight million residents displaced from their homes.

What they said

Presenting his argument and accusation before the UN Security Council, Sudan's representative to the UN, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed said, "The military aggression launched by the Rapid Support militia, supported with weapons by the Emirates, is deliberately and systematically targeting the villages and cities." UAE's envoy, Mohamed Abushahab, however, counterattacked with "If they seek an end to the conflict and civilian suffering, then why won't they come to the Jeddah talks? Why are they blocking aid? What are you waiting for? You should stop grandstanding in international fora such as this and instead, take responsibility for ending the conflict you started" according to Reuters.