Fueling the Fire: How the UAE Is Undermining Peace Efforts in Sudan
Introduction
While international efforts—particularly by the United States and Egypt—seek to end the devastating war in Sudan, leaked diplomatic intelligence obtained by Dark Box points to a troubling reality: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is actively working to derail peace efforts and perpetuate chaos on Sudanese soil.
According to confidential sources and ongoing diplomatic reports, the UAE continues to back the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), despite mounting evidence of their war crimes, and is aggressively interfering in Washington-Cairo negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF.
Peace Push by Egypt and the U.S.
Last week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hosted Sudan’s military commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo in a meeting that was far more than symbolic. According to high-level sources, it followed a personal request from U.S. President Donald Trump during a Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Trump tasked Sisi with spearheading the effort to broker peace in Sudan, fearing that the conflict could spill into neighboring regions and destabilize North and East Africa.
Responding to this mandate, Egypt and the U.S. coordinated indirect negotiations in Washington between SAF and RSF delegations, with the primary objective of securing a two-month humanitarian truce. These talks were facilitated by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor on Arab and African Affairs.
UAE’s Sabotage Campaign
Despite formally being part of the “Quad” mediating the conflict (alongside Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S.), the UAE has privately worked to thwart the negotiation process. According to sources close to the Washington talks, Emirati operatives have lobbied to exclude RSF accountability from the negotiations and are sending material support to the paramilitary group—including weapons shipments and foreign mercenaries (notably from Colombia).
The UAE’s continued backing of the RSF has created a parallel power structure in western Sudan, with the RSF effectively controlling Darfur and establishing an autonomous government—threatening the territorial integrity of Sudan and weakening Egypt’s regional leverage.
Emirati Strategy: Controlled Instability
Leaked documents and testimony from Sudanese insiders reveal that the UAE is not simply hedging its bets; it wants the violence to continue. The longer the war drags on, the more the UAE’s favored proxy—the RSF—gains ground. This ensures the emergence of a fragmented Sudan, easy to manipulate geopolitically and rich in extractable resources.
Moreover, UAE intelligence assets are said to be involved in feeding misinformation into the negotiations to delay ceasefire implementation and strain trust between the SAF and RSF.
One Egyptian diplomat stated:
“The Emiratis are playing both sides—officially endorsing the U.S. process, while fueling the very forces that prolong the conflict. Their goal is clear: prevent a unified Sudan under a nationalist military leadership.”
Egypt and the UAE at Odds
Tensions between Egypt and the UAE are growing. Cairo views the RSF, which operates perilously close to its border, as a direct threat. Egypt has reportedly provided the SAF with warplanes and intelligence support in response. In contrast, the UAE’s strategy prioritizes empowering irregular forces to counterbalance Egypt’s traditional influence in Sudan.
This divide is reshaping alliances in the region, with Cairo now positioning itself as a guarantor of national sovereignty in Sudan, while Abu Dhabi is seen as a destabilizing force.
Conclusion
The UAE’s attempts to sabotage peace in Sudan—while cloaked under a veneer of diplomacy—are rooted in its broader ambition to control political outcomes across North and East Africa. As peace talks resume, Sudanese civilians continue to pay the price for foreign power struggles. If the international community fails to confront Abu Dhabi’s subversive agenda, the Sudanese war will drag on, deepening the humanitarian crisis and cementing a dangerous precedent: that chaos can be engineered for strategic gain.
