A new report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has documented the international network supplying weapons and military equipment to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The report identifies the UAE as part of a transnational network involving Libya, Somalia’s Puntland region and Chad through which weapons and other military supplies have reached the RSF, which has been accused of committing widespread atrocities against civilians in Sudan.
According to the report, the RSF received weapons and military equipment through regional routes involving Bosaso in Puntland, Libya, as well as Chad, before the supplies reached areas under RSF control.
The equipment identified by the UN includes NORINCO AH-4 155mm howitzers, FK-2000 air-defence systems, radars, armoured vehicles and Land Cruisers. The report also identifies CH-95 drones and large quantities of ammunition among the military supplies reaching the RSF.
Some of the weapons and ammunition were transported by cargo aircraft to Nyala airport, which is currently under RSF control, according to the report.
The UN mission also documented the training of RSF personnel in Libya. RSF fighters have reportedly received drone training in Benghazi and in Kufra, in southern Libya. Fighters who participated in the attacks on Zamzam camp were also reportedly trained at a camp in Jufra.
The report further confirms the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries to fight in Sudan, stating that Colombian fighters were recruited through the UAE.
The UN investigation also found that the RSF used drones to attack civilian infrastructure during its siege of El Obeid, highlighting the growing role of drone warfare in the conflict.
The report warns that both sides of Sudan’s war are increasingly relying on drones, raising the risk of further civilian casualties and attacks on civilian infrastructure.
It calls for those responsible for violations resulting in civilian deaths and injuries to be held accountable, underscoring the need for greater international scrutiny of the networks supplying weapons and military support to the warring parties.
The findings come as Sudan’s devastating war continues, with civilians bearing the brunt of fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The UN report points to the increasingly internationalised nature of the conflict, with weapons, military training and personnel moving across borders and through regional networks before reaching the battlefield.
You can read the full report here.
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