Latest news with #Aljaberi
L'Orient-Le Jour
09-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
UAE denies supplying Chinese weapons to Sudan paramilitaries
The United Arab Emirates on Friday denied an Amnesty International report accusing it of providing Chinese-made weapons to Sudanese paramilitary forces at war with the regular army. "The UAE strongly rejects the suggestion that it is supplying weaponry to any party involved in the ongoing conflict in Sudan," said Salem Aljaberi, the UAE's assistant minister for security and military affairs. "These claims are baseless and lack substantiated evidence," he said in a statement posted on the foreign ministry's X account. On Thursday, Amnesty said it identified "Chinese GB50A guided bombs and 155mm AH-4 howitzers" through analysis of footage of attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Khartoum and Darfur. The London-based human rights group said the UAE was the only country to import howitzers from China in a deal in 2019. It relied on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute for its report. "The howitzer referenced in the report is a system manufactured outside the UAE and has been available on the international market for nearly a decade," Aljaberi said, labelling the Amnesty report as "misleading." "The assertion that only one country has procured or transferred this system is invalid," he added. Amnesty's report came as the RSF pressed its long-range drone attacks on army-held cities in Sudan. Abu Dhabi has repeatedly denied arming the RSF, despite reports from U.N. experts, U.S. politicians and international organisations. On Tuesday, the army-aligned government severed ties with the UAE, accusing it of supplying the RSF with the advanced weapons systems it has used to strike Port Sudan. The UAE denied the allegation, saying the internationally recognised administration "does not represent the legitimate government of Sudan."
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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'.
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
UAE Denies Amnesty Claim of Arming Sudan's RSF
UAE denies supplying Chinese weapons to Sudan paramilitaries DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates on Friday denied an Amnesty International report accusing it of providing Chinese-made weapons to Sudanese paramilitary forces at war with the regular army. 'The UAE strongly rejects the suggestion that it is supplying weaponry to any party involved in the ongoing conflict in Sudan,' said Salem Aljaberi, the UAE's assistant minister for security and military affairs. 'These claims are baseless and lack substantiated evidence,' he said in a statement posted on the foreign ministry's X account. On Thursday, Amnesty said it identified 'Chinese GB50A guided bombs and 155mm AH-4 howitzers' through analysis of footage of attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Khartoum and Darfur. The London-based human rights group said the UAE was the only country to import howitzers from China, in a deal in 2019. It relied on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute for its report. 'The howitzer referenced in the report is a system manufactured outside the UAE and has been available on the international market for nearly a decade,' Aljaberi said, labelling the Amnesty report as 'misleading'. 'The assertion that only one country has procured or transferred this system is invalid,' he added. Amnesty's report came as the RSF pressed its long-range drone attacks on army-held cities in Sudan. Abu Dhabi has repeatedly denied arming the RSF, despite reports from UN experts, US politicians and international organisations. On Tuesday, the army-aligned government severed ties with the UAE, accusing it of supplying the RSF with the advanced weapons systems it has used to strike Port Sudan. The UAE denied the allegation, saying the internationally recognised administration 'does not represent the legitimate government of Sudan'.
