New Amnesty report reveals UAE violated UN arms embargo on Sudan's RSF
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Through the analysis of photos and videos taken after RSF attacks in Darfur and Khartoum, Amnesty identified GB50A guided bombs and 155mm AH-4 howitzers, both produced by China's Norinco Group.
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Images reveal the distinctive GB50A bomb markings. (Amnesty International)
A new investigation by Amnesty International has uncovered that the United Arab Emirates re-exported advanced Chinese weaponry to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in a "blatant breach" of the United Nations arms embargo on Darfur.
Through the analysis of photos and videos taken after RSF attacks in Darfur and Khartoum, Amnesty identified GB50A guided bombs and 155mm AH-4 howitzers, both produced by China's Norinco Group. This is the first documented use of GB50A bombs in any conflict worldwide.
"These bombs can be dropped from various Chinese drones, including Wing Loong II and FeiHong-95, both of which are used only by the RSF in Sudan, and have been provided by the UAE," the report states.
"The presence of recently manufactured Chinese bombs in North Darfur is a clear violation of the arms embargo by the UAE," said Brian Castner, Head of Crisis Research at Amnesty International. "Our documentation of AH-4 howitzers in Khartoum further strengthens a growing body of evidence showing extensive UAE support to the RSF, in violation of international law."
Amnesty added that the UAE is the only country in the world known to have imported AH-4 howitzers from China, based on 2019 data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), reinforcing the likelihood that the weapons recovered in Sudan were re-exported by the UAE.
#الــســـودان
— 🗺️خبر الشام (@Al1amrei) May 8, 2025
تم التعرف على أسلحة صينية متطورة، بما في ذلك قنابل موجهة من طراز GB50A ومدافع هاوتزر من طراز AH-4 عيار 155 ملم، قيد الاستخدام من قبل قوات الدعم السريع في السودان.
من المرجح أن الإمارات العربية المتحدة أعادت تصدير هذه الأسلحة، التي تصنعها مجموعة نورينكو الصينية . pic.twitter.com/DGQ3NsQNuW
The findings corroborate prior reports from the UN Panel of Experts on Sudan, which have repeatedly documented the UAE's involvement in weapons transfers to the RSF in defiance of international law.
Amnesty has also criticized China, a state party to the Arms Trade Treaty, for continuing to supply weapons to the UAE despite its known record of re-exporting arms to conflict zones. The organization called on all states to suspend arms transfers to the UAE until it can provide verifiable assurances that no weapons will be diverted to embargoed destinations.
Justice Denied
Earlier this month, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismissed Sudan's genocide case against the UAE, ruling on May 5 that it lacked jurisdiction. Sudan had accused the UAE of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by supporting the RSF in Darfur, but the court determined that the UAE's reservation to Article IX of the Convention precluded it from hearing the case. The ICJ emphasized that its decision was based solely on legal grounds and did not address the substance of Sudan's allegations.
Amnesty has renewed its appeal for the UN Security Council to extend the arms embargo to all of Sudan, not just Darfur, as the war between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continues to devastate the country. Tens of thousands have been killed, and Amnesty has previously documented mass atrocities, including widespread sexual violence amounting to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.
Read more: South Sudan clashes block aid to 60,000 malnourished children
The organization also sent formal inquiries to Norinco Group, the Chinese manufacturer of the weapons in question, on April 18. As of publication, no response had been received.
