An alarming New York Times investigation has exposed how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is sneaking weapons into Sudan through Chad under the guise of humanitarian aid to support the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a 17-month war that has k*lled from 20,000 Sudanese to as many as 150,000, according to the US envoy.
The New York Times reported the UAE is using the red crescent, the famous symbol of humanitarian aid, for its covert operations, essentially blurring the lines between aid and military support.
The war that started between the Sudanese army and RSF on 15 April 2023 has displaced 10 million Sudanese internally and forced 2 million to flee, creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than half of the country’s 50-million population suffers acute hunger.
In May, the Sudanese ambassador to the UN accused the UAE of arming the RSF, while NGO SwissAid says the UAE is the primary recipient of Sudanese gold. According to the World Gold Council, Sudan is Africa’s fifth-highest gold producer.
Sources:
https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/united-arab-emirates-arming-rsf-genocide-in-sudan
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/world/africa/uae-sudan-civil-war.html
https://sudan.iom.int/news/sudan-internal-displacement-set-top-10-million-famine-looms-iom
https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency
https://www.gold.org/goldhub/data/gold-production-by-country
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-rsf-key-ally-uae-logistical-and-corporate-interests
http://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(24)01939-1/abstract
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15784.doc.htm