UAE denies supplying Sudan paramilitaries with Chinese arms
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied supplying Chinese-made weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is locked in a brutal conflict with Sudan's military government.
Salem Aljaberi, the UAE's assistant minister for security and military affairs, said on social media on Friday that the allegations, contained in an Amnesty International report released the previous day, are 'baseless' and 'lack substantiated evidence'.
Abu Dhabi has long rejected accusations – stemming from sources including the United Nations, United States, and NGOs – that it is arming the RSF.
'The UAE strongly rejects the suggestion that it is supplying weaponry to any party involved in the ongoing conflict in Sudan,' Aljaberi said in a statement shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X.
Amnesty said on Thursday that it had verified footage showing RSF fighters using Chinese GB50A guided bombs and 155mm AH-4 howitzers during attacks in Khartoum and Darfur.
According to the rights group, the UAE was the only known buyer of the howitzers from China, citing data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Aljaberi dismissed the conclusion, saying the weapon system 'has been available on the international market for nearly a decade' and was not exclusive to the UAE. He described the report as 'misleading'.
Suffering a series of battlefield setbacks in recent weeks, the RSF has intensified its long-range drone attacks on areas controlled by the army.
The eastern city of Port Sudan has been a particular target and was hit for a sixth consecutive day on Friday. An army official, speaking to the AFP news agency anonymously, said air defences intercepted 'enemy drones'.
Witnesses reported attacks damaging vital infrastructure, including the country's only operational international airport, the largest fuel storage facility, and the main power station.
Port Sudan serves as the country's principal aid hub. The war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 13 million, creating the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the attacks 'threaten to increase humanitarian needs and further complicate aid operations in the country', according to his spokesperson.
Sudan's Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim on Tuesday accused the UAE of violating the country's sovereignty by backing the RSF, and the military government announced it would cut diplomatic relations.
In response, Abu Dhabi denied supplying weapons and rejected the legitimacy of Sudan's internationally recognised government.
Earlier this week, the International Court of Justice threw out Sudan's lawsuit accusing the UAE of involvement in genocide, saying it does not have jurisdiction over the issues due to the Middle Eastern country's exemption from Article 9 of the Genocide Convention.
UAE official Reem Ketait welcomed the ruling, calling it 'clear and decisive'.
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