KEY POINTS
- UAE faces accusations of smuggling arms to Sudan rebels via Chad.
- Video evidence and experts point to possible weapons shipments.
- UAE denies claims, maintains its flights only deliver humanitarian aid.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is facing allegations of supplying arms to Sudanese rebels through a Chad airstrip. Since April 2023, at least 86 flights from the UAE have reportedly landed at Amdjarass, a small airstrip in Chad, which some United Nations experts and diplomats claim is being used to smuggle arms to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighting against Sudan’s military.
According to flight data and satellite images reviewed by Reuters, many of these flights were operated by airlines previously accused of channeling UAE military support to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar.
These carriers, which include ZetAvia, FlySky Airlines, FlySky Kyrgyz, and Sapsan Airlines, allegedly transported weapons disguised as humanitarian aid.
The UAE, a key ally of Western powers in the Middle East, denies the claims. In a statement, the UAE government insisted it had sent 159 relief flights carrying over 10,000 tonnes of food and medical supplies.
The aid was reportedly intended to support Sudanese refugees and supply a field hospital established in Amdjarass.
“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 said in its statement.
Crates at Chad airstrip raise suspicions of weapon deliveries
Video footage and satellite images from the Amdjarass airstrip have fueled concerns. Reuters reviewed footage showing two pallets of khaki-colored crates stacked on the tarmac, some bearing the UAE flag.
Unlike typical humanitarian aid, which is often packed in lightweight cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic, the crates appeared to be metal and stacked low on the pallets.
Three weapons experts, including two former UN investigators, said the design and color of the crates, along with their size and shape, strongly suggested they contained ammunition or weapons.
One expert noted the long, thin dimensions of some crates resembled those used for firearms.
“These crates are highly probably ammunition or weapons,” one of the experts told Reuters, emphasizing that humanitarian aid packaging is distinct from what was seen in the video.
A member of Chad’s security forces, who spoke anonymously due to safety concerns, claimed to have seen similar crates being transported from Amdjarass to the Sudanese border, where they were handed over to RSF fighters.
The Chadian government did not comment on the matter, while Sudan’s army described the situation as a “tangible fact” of Emirati support for the RSF.
UAE faces mounting international scrutiny over arms supply claims
The allegations of UAE arms shipments to the RSF have drawn global attention, with Western powers, including the United States and Britain, monitoring the situation.
UAE delegates at meetings with senior U.S. officials reportedly dropped their denials after being confronted with intelligence showing links between UAE flights and arms supplies to Sudanese rebels.
“Logistics win wars, and the UAE has used this plane network to consistently facilitate weapons to the RSF,” said Justin Lynch, lead analyst at the Sudan Conflict Observatory.
According to Reuters, he emphasized that the UAE’s role in arming the RSF had “altered the balance of power in Sudan’s conflict, prolonged the war, and increased civilian casualties.”
The U.S. State Department confirmed ongoing diplomatic engagement with partners in the region to address the perils of supporting armed groups in Sudan.
Officials from the African Union, Britain, and several U.S. agencies are reportedly tracking the situation, though no formal accusations have been made.
Also, the United Nations has called for increased oversight of flights landing at Amdjarass and similar airstrips near conflict zones.
International agencies are also urging greater scrutiny of airlines like ZetAvia and FlySky, which have been implicated in smuggling military cargo into conflict areas, including Sudan and Libya.
