The Sudanese army-backed government has accused the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), of launching drones assembled in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from neighbouring Chad, as the brutal conflict in Sudan intensifies.
On Monday, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Youssef presented evidence that the RSF was using drones manufactured in the UAE to launch attacks from Chad, near the Sudanese border. The Sudanese military displayed images of the drones and rockets, claiming they had been launched toward Sudan’s North Darfur state capital of El-Fasher and Omdurman, across the border in Chad.
According to Youssef, investigations have confirmed that the drones are being assembled in the UAE before being sent to Chad for use by the RSF. This claim adds to growing accusations against the UAE regarding its involvement in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
In 2022, UN experts monitoring an arms embargo on Darfur found the claims that the UAE was funnelling weapons to the RSF through Chad to be credible. However, the UAE has repeatedly denied supporting the RSF, calling such accusations ludicrous. The country’s involvement in Sudan’s conflict has been a point of contention, with Sudan’s UN ambassador accusing the UAE of exacerbating the situation by arming the RSF.
Khalid Aleisir, Sudan’s media minister, expressed the government’s outrage, calling the RSF’s actions a direct assault on Sudan by both Chad and the UAE. He said the war had taken a dangerous turn with Chad’s involvement, and he criticized the countries for prolonging the violence.
Since the war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, tens of thousands of people have been killed, and over 11 million have been displaced. The war has led to widespread humanitarian crises, with Sudan on the brink of famine. Both sides have faced allegations of war crimes, including indiscriminate shelling, ethnic cleansing, and summary killings.
Analysts warn that external involvement, including foreign weapons support, will only prolong the country’s suffering and escalate the ongoing conflict.
