The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is facing renewed allegations of fueling Sudan’s brutal civil war through a suspected airlift of arms into Sudan’s conflict zones. Flight data, satellite imagery, and eyewitness accounts suggest that cargo planes from the UAE have been landing at Amdjarass, a remote airstrip in eastern Chad, where weapons may be funneled across the border to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). While the UAE insists the flights are for humanitarian aid, mounting evidence raises serious questions about its role in prolonging Sudan’s deadly conflict.
Since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF, at least 86 cargo flights originating from the UAE have been identified as heading to the Amdjarass airstrip. Flight data reviewed by Reuters shows that three-quarters of these flights were operated by carriers previously accused by the United Nations of delivering Emirati weapons to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces during Libya’s civil war.
The UAE has firmly rejected the claims, maintaining that its operations in Chad are solely humanitarian. The Emirati government reports it has sent 159 relief flights carrying over 10,000 tonnes of food and medical supplies, including equipment for a field hospital it established in Amdjarass to support Sudanese refugees.
“We firmly reject the baseless and unfounded claims regarding the provision of arms and military equipment to any warring party since the beginning of the conflict,” the UAE government stated.
However, unverified video footage from Amdjarass, obtained by Reuters, casts doubt on this narrative. The footage reveals pallets loaded with khaki metal crates labeled with UAE markings—a stark contrast to the typical lightweight plastic-wrapped boxes associated with humanitarian aid. Weapons experts, including former UN investigators, reviewed the footage and suggested that the crates likely contained ammunition or arms. One expert noted that the dimensions of some cases were consistent with weapons packaging.
While Reuters was unable to independently confirm the crates’ contents, local sources and Chadian security personnel added further weight to the allegations. A Chadian security officer deployed to Amdjarass described witnessing crates resembling those used to transport weapons being escorted to Sudan’s border and handed over to RSF fighters.
The UAE’s alleged involvement has raised concerns among Western and African officials that external military support is prolonging Sudan’s conflict and worsening its humanitarian crisis. The RSF’s advances, especially in the Darfur region bordering Chad, have shifted the balance of power in the war, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.
Justin Lynch, lead analyst at the Sudan Conflict Observatory, underscored the strategic significance of logistics in conflicts. “UAE-supplied weapons to the RSF have altered the balance of power in Sudan’s conflict, prolonged the war, and increased civilian casualties,” Lynch noted after reviewing flight data.
Sudanese army spokesperson Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah called the flow of Emirati arms a “tangible fact.” He accused the UAE of consistently supplying weapons and equipment to the RSF since the conflict erupted. However, RSF officials have denied receiving any external military support, claiming their supplies come from Sudan’s domestic weapons factories.
The allegations are not isolated. The UAE has a well-documented history of military interventions in conflicts across the Middle East and North Africa. From Libya to Yemen, the Gulf nation has pursued strategic interests, often citing counterterrorism efforts and a broader goal of suppressing Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
In Libya, the UN previously accused the UAE of funneling weapons to Haftar’s forces via private airlines. Many of these same airlines—including ZetAvia, FlySky Airlines, and Sapsan Airlines—have now been implicated in the Chad airlift. Flight tracking data shows some of these planes made stops in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Somalia before arriving in Amdjarass. Somali officials have also reported UAE-linked flights carrying military equipment through Berbera in Somaliland.
The UAE’s activities in Chad have further strained its relations with Western allies. During meetings in Washington this year, U.S. officials reportedly confronted Emirati delegates with intelligence linking their flights to RSF weapons supplies. While the UAE refrained from outright denials, it emphasized its humanitarian operations in the region.
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