UAE: The Main Backer Behind Sudan’s War
Dark Box Investigative Report
An Exclusive Dark Box Investigation
In a rare on-record testimony with Dark Box, a senior RSF intelligence officer has confirmed what many Sudanese civilians and regional observers have long suspected: the United Arab Emirates is not a passive bystander to Sudan’s civil war. It is, according to him, the main backer of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary organization accused of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and the starvation of civilian populations.
Weapons Flights from the Gulf to Darfur
The officer, speaking under the pseudonym Ahmed for his safety, described a network of supply flights and overland routes connecting the UAE to Sudan’s conflict zones. “Many of the planes landing in South Darfur are bringing weapons from the UAE, partly via Amdjarras airport in Chad,” he told Dark Box.
He emphasized that the relationship is “financial, no more.” The RSF controls several lucrative gold mines in Darfur, and the UAE, one of the world’s largest gold-trading hubs, has an incentive to maintain this flow of wealth. This transactional relationship, he claimed, is what keeps the RSF armed and operational even as international scrutiny mounts.
The Siege of Al Fashir
In North Darfur, the RSF has imposed a devastating siege on Al Fashir, the last state-held capital in the region. Nearly a million civilians are trapped under daily bombardment and drone strikes while being cut off from food and medical supplies. Joint Task Forces commander Idris Ali, who leads local units resisting the RSF, told Dark Box his fighters are being pummeled by sophisticated weaponry.
“According to our sources, the weapons come from the UAE. Chad is just a corridor for these arms to reach Sudan,” Ali said. He provided footage allegedly showing covered trucks crossing the Adre corridor from Chad into West Darfur at night, as well as convoys of land cruisers painted in RSF colors before being converted into armed “technicals.”
A Shadow Supply Chain
Dark Box has independently reviewed multiple pieces of evidence and testimonies describing a shadow supply chain funneling weapons and equipment from the UAE into Sudan through Chad. These include:
- Video footage of trucks and convoys at night crossings, consistent with known RSF supply routes.
- Flight tracking data showing repeated cargo flights between UAE airbases and airports in eastern Chad since 2024.
- Testimonies from both RSF defectors and Chadian border officials pointing to mass arms smuggling operations.
The intelligence officer also highlighted Amdjarras airport in Chad as a key hub where flights from the UAE allegedly land before supplies are moved into RSF territory.
Gold, Power, and War Crimes
The RSF’s atrocities are widely documented: mass killings, sexual violence, lynchings, and blockades that amount to war crimes under international law. Yet the supply of weapons, cash, and logistical support described by multiple sources suggests that the RSF’s operational capacity is being deliberately sustained from abroad.
By enabling the RSF, the UAE is not only fueling Sudan’s war but also undermining any prospect of civilian-led governance or national reconciliation. “The RSF is strangling our country,” said Commander Ali. “Those who supply them are complicit.”
A Proxy War in Plain Sight
What emerges from this investigation is a portrait of a proxy war in plain sight. The UAE, a Gulf power with deep economic and political ambitions in Africa, appears to be bankrolling a paramilitary group accused of genocide and state destruction. While the international community debates sanctions and ceasefires, a steady stream of weapons continues to flow.
Sudan’s war is not only a battle between two armed factions; it is a theater for external actors pursuing power and profit at the expense of millions of lives. Until those supply lines are broken and accountability is enforced, the suffering of Sudan’s civilians will continue, and the fingerprints of those responsible will remain etched into the country’s tragedy.
