Sudan Urges UN to Probe Foreign Involvement in Rebel Support
The United Nations has voiced growing alarm over the deteriorating situation in Sudan and the continued influx of arms that is fueling the war.
The organization called on tighter global oversight of arms exports and on making embargoes effective in practice in order to stop weapons from flowing into conflict zones. Photo/courtesy
By Linda Kisia
The government of Sudan has officially asked the United Nations to take up the matter with those foreign countries accused of providing both financial and military aid to rebel groups inside Sudan.
Sudan’s envoy in Geneva, Hassan Hamid, blamed the United Arab Emirates for being a key arms supplier of the RSF, along with other external actors who he said had been arming and financing the group. Hamid called on the UN to hold the UAE responsible and to pressure it to stop what he described as arms flows to the militia.
A series of reports from various international human rights groups, including Amnesty International, documented evidence that armaments originating from various countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Russia, China, Serbia, and Turkey, have reached combatants in Sudan. These findings point to a complex network of arms transfers that has deepened the country’s internal conflict and worsened the humanitarian situation, particularly for civilians trapped in the crossfire.
The ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, has already claimed thousands of lives and forced millions to flee their homes. Sudan has increased its diplomatic offensive by filing a lawsuit against the UAE at the ICJ, accusing it of violating international law through its support for the RSF with weapons and financial means.
The UAE has denied involvement at every turn, contending that it has not provided any military or financial support to the RSF. Experts say, however, the origins and movement of many weapons are hard to track because arms shipments often pass through third countries or change ownership multiple times before ending up in the hands of any one force.
The United Nations has voiced growing alarm over the deteriorating situation in Sudan and the continued influx of arms that is fueling the war. The organization called on tighter global oversight of arms exports and on making embargoes effective in practice in order to stop weapons from flowing into conflict zones. Sudan’s appeal to the UN comes in the wake of its determination to expose and curb external interference, which it says is prolonging violence and undermining peace efforts. The government thus expects that international cooperation and tougher measures by the UN will help cut off supply lines to the rebels and open the way for dialogue to lead to long-term stability in the war-torn nation.
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