UAE claims it foiled ammo transfer to Sudanese Army
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Sudan's army immediately dismissed the UAE's account as a fabrication.
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Damage is seen at Khartoum International Airport after it was recaptured from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP)
Emirati authorities announced Wednesday they had intercepted a major arms shipment allegedly bound for Sudan's national army, amid rising scrutiny over the UAE's role in fueling Sudan's civil conflict through support to rival paramilitary forces.
According to the UAE's Attorney-General, Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, security services arrested members of a "cell" involved in brokering unauthorized military deals on Emirati soil. The group allegedly sought to deliver five million rounds of Goryunov-type ammunition via a private aircraft, masked under the cover of a medical shipment.
Additional alleged seizures included forged contracts, financial proceeds, and communication records related to broader arms deals reportedly involving Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, grenades, and drones.
The suspects named include former Sudanese intelligence chief Salah Gosh, army Colonel Othman al-Zubair, and individuals close to Sudan's de facto military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Yasser al-Atta. WAM claims the Sudanese Armed Forces' Armament Committee directly authorized the transactions, disguising them as sugar imports using hawala-based money transfers.
Sudan's army immediately dismissed the UAE's account as a fabrication. A spokesperson accused Abu Dhabi of trying to deflect attention from its own record of supplying arms to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023. The Sudanese government has filed a case at the International Court of Justice, accusing the UAE of aiding genocide in West Darfur, a charge the UAE denies. The ICJ is expected to issue a preliminary ruling next week.
UN investigators have previously found credible links between the UAE and arms shipments to the RSF, including mortars exported from Bulgaria to the UAE later found in Darfur. Leaked reports also point to suspicious cargo flights from the UAE to Chad, allegedly facilitating weapons transfers.
Read more: Sudan tells ICJ UAE 'driving force' behind 'genocide'
While the UAE continues to deny involvement in Sudan's war, the latest announcement seeks to present the country as a guardian of regional security. However, the depth of the alleged network and the sophisticated nature of the operation raise questions about long-standing ties between Emirati financial systems and Sudan's warring factions.
The Public Prosecution said it will refer the suspects for expedited trial, with final results to be announced upon conclusion of the investigation.
