UAE Pushes for Sudan’s Partition Two Years After Fueling Civil War
Arab and Western diplomatic sources confirm that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been executing a covert plan for weeks to push for the partition of Sudan, two years after Abu Dhabi played a central role in igniting the country’s civil war and plunging it into chaos for its own strategic gain.
Abu Dhabi’s pursuit of Sudan’s division follows a familiar pattern seen in Yemen and Libya: exploiting internal conflict to reshape national borders and secure influence over resource-rich regions. The UAE’s military and financial support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia has been well-documented, and sources say it continues unabated despite mounting international condemnation.
Partition as a Strategic “Plan B”
With the Sudanese army under Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan regaining ground in Khartoum and other key areas, the RSF—led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti”—is losing its military advantage. In this context, Emirati planners are reportedly shifting focus toward creating a breakaway entity in RSF-controlled territories, allowing them to retain a loyal proxy force and privileged access to Sudan’s gold, farmland, and trade routes.
Diplomatic sources revealed that in Nairobi, RSF leaders met with allied tribal and political factions under UAE facilitation. The agenda: finalize a political charter for a separatist government. This aligns with a recent Times report that both warring sides have now outlined competing governance visions, effectively edging Sudan toward de facto partition along battle lines.
The Ramadan Ceasefire Gambit
According to Sudanese and regional officials, the UAE recently proposed a Ramadan ceasefire to Burhan. His refusal—demanding RSF’s unconditional surrender—was a turning point. Abu Dhabi appears to have responded by accelerating its partition push, positioning Hemedti as the leader of a new statelet in western and southern Sudan.
War Crimes and Massacres
The RSF’s brutality has not abated. While its leaders were in Kenya, fighters reportedly massacred more than 200 civilians, including children, in White Nile State. Eyewitnesses and human rights lawyers described people being slaughtered while trying to cross the Nile River to safety. Footage showed a mass grave with victims wrapped in white shrouds.
The United States has formally accused the RSF—heavily armed and financed by the UAE—of committing genocide. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the war as “a catastrophe of unprecedented scale and brutality.”
Strategic Pattern Across the Region
Partitioning Sudan would mirror the UAE’s strategy in other conflict zones:
- In Yemen, backing separatist forces in the south to control ports and oil terminals.
- In Libya, empowering eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar to cement influence over strategic airbases and energy facilities.
Analysts say such fragmentation serves Abu Dhabi’s ambition to dominate Red Sea trade corridors, secure mineral resources, and establish loyal political proxies across Africa.
The Bigger Picture
The war in Sudan—ignited in April 2023 after a failed power-sharing deal—has killed tens of thousands, displaced over 11 million, and triggered the most severe humanitarian crisis on record, according to the International Rescue Committee.
As Cameron Hudson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies warns, “The RSF is trying to achieve at the negotiating table what it has failed to win on the battlefield—with the UAE as the key enabler.”
