The United Nations has accused foreign players of exacerbating the war in Sudan, making it increasingly difficult for the country to find peace. The ongoing fighting, which erupted in April 2023, has been primarily driven by two rival military leaders—General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and General Mohamed “Hemedti” Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). However, external actors, with their own geopolitical interests, are now deeply entrenched in the conflict, providing financial and military support to both sides, further complicating efforts to end the violence.
According to the UN, the involvement of foreign actors has transformed Sudan’s civil war from a localized power struggle into a broader regional conflict, with international dimensions that make prospects for peace increasingly unlikely. The most prominent of these foreign players is the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has emerged as one of the main external backers of the Rapid Support Forces.
In a year of civil war, Sudan has become a site of devastating humanitarian crises, with millions displaced and the country teetering on the brink of famine. Sudan’s civil war has swiftly escalated into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies. The country, once hailed as Africa’s largest agricultural producer, has seen its food supply chain disrupted, leaving millions at risk of starvation. The war has displaced over 7 million people within Sudan, and close to 2 million others have fled to neighboring countries. According to the UN, nearly half of the population—around 25 million people—are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, while estimates suggest more than 20,000 people have been killed since the conflict began.
The country, which was seen as a potential breadbasket for the entire region due to its vast agricultural resources, is now teetering on the brink of famine. Relief organizations have struggled to deliver aid, as continued fighting hampers their access to the most vulnerable populations.
The conflict in Sudan was triggered by a rivalry between two generals, Burhan and Hemedti, following the collapse of a political transition that had been aimed at guiding Sudan toward democratic rule. However, as the fighting intensified, the war began attracting the attention and involvement of several foreign powers. Regional and international actors have taken sides, providing financial and military support to the warring factions, often motivated by their own strategic and economic interests.
Countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have thrown their weight behind the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Burhan. In contrast, the UAE, Libya, and Russia, through its notorious paramilitary Wagner Group, have backed Hemedti’s Rapid Support Forces. The result is a proxy war where regional powers are not only arming and financing their preferred factions but also complicating efforts by the international community to broker a peace deal. The UN has called out these foreign actors, accusing them of prolonging the conflict and contributing to a situation that shows no signs of abating.
UAE in Sudan’s Conflict
Among the foreign players involved, the UAE has emerged as one of the most significant backers of the RSF. Abu Dhabi’s interest in Sudan is multifaceted, driven by a combination of economic ambitions, geopolitical strategy, and its long-standing desire to project influence in the Middle East and Africa.
Since 2018, the UAE has invested heavily in Sudan, pouring over $6 billion into various sectors, including agriculture and infrastructure. This includes substantial foreign reserves deposited in Sudan’s central bank and significant investments in agricultural projects. The UAE’s involvement in Sudan also extends to a lucrative port deal on the Red Sea, which positions the country as a major player in Sudan’s strategic maritime and trade routes.
However, Abu Dhabi’s support for the RSF, particularly in the form of weapons, has drawn international condemnation. Despite repeated denials from UAE officials, evidence suggests that the Gulf state has funneled arms and supplies to the RSF through complex logistical networks spanning Libya, Chad, and the Central African Republic. These supplies are often disguised as humanitarian aid, according to reports from UN experts. Such actions not only violate international arms embargoes but also fuel the violent campaigns conducted by Hemedti’s forces.
Russia’s Wagner Group and Sudan’s Resources
In addition to the UAE, Russia’s shadowy paramilitary organization, the Wagner Group, has also played a central role in Sudan’s conflict. Wagner, known for its involvement in other regional conflicts, such as in Syria and the Central African Republic, has operated in Sudan since 2017, largely focusing on resource extraction in regions like Darfur.
Wagner’s partnership with Hemedti and the RSF has facilitated Russia’s access to Sudan’s gold reserves, which have become a critical source of funding for both the war and the RSF’s military operations. Sudanese gold is funneled through various illicit networks and smuggled out of the country, with the UAE serving as the primary destination for these valuable resources. Official data from 2022 indicates that the UAE imported approximately $2.3 billion worth of Sudanese gold, much of which is believed to have been laundered through illegal channels.
Sudan’s gold trade, while vital for financing the RSF’s operations, has also had catastrophic consequences for local communities. Reports of human rights abuses, land seizures, and environmental destruction have become commonplace in areas where the RSF controls gold mines.
Sudan is just one example of the UAE’s broader foreign policy strategy in recent years, which involves aligning with local forces in conflict zones to secure its geopolitical and economic interests. From Libya to Yemen, the UAE has increasingly relied on proxy forces and paramilitaries to project power and influence, often with little regard for the humanitarian consequences.
In Sudan, the UAE’s primary interests revolve around food security and resource extraction. With the global food crisis becoming an ever more pressing concern, the UAE has sought to secure vast tracts of agricultural land in Sudan. Currently, two Emirati firms are farming over 50,000 hectares in northern Sudan, with plans for expansion. The agricultural produce is then shipped through Sudanese ports to the UAE, where it plays a critical role in the country’s food supply chain.
As part of its strategy, the UAE signed a deal in 2022 to build a new port on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, bypassing the government-controlled Port of Sudan. The new port, operated by the Abu Dhabi Ports Group, is seen as part of the UAE’s broader ambitions to dominate trade routes in the region and secure access to Sudan’s valuable resources.
Despite the mounting evidence of foreign involvement in Sudan’s war, the international community has so far done little to hold external actors accountable. The UN Security Council has failed to take any significant action against countries like the UAE, which continue to flout arms embargoes and fuel the conflict through their support of proxy forces.
Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have documented atrocities committed by the RSF, including ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. These abuses have been widely condemned, yet there has been little effort to apply meaningful pressure on the UAE for its complicity in the conflict. Instead, Abu Dhabi has continued to leverage its alliances with Western powers, including the United States, to shield itself from any serious international scrutiny.
The stakes of Sudan’s conflict extend far beyond its borders. The country’s collapse threatens to destabilize the entire Horn of Africa, a region already beset by political turmoil and economic instability. The humanitarian crisis, combined with the involvement of regional powers, has turned Sudan into a potential powder keg that could have far-reaching consequences for international peace and security.
As Sudan edges closer to famine and millions continue to suffer, the world faces a moral imperative to intervene. However, unless the international community is willing to hold foreign actors accountable for their role in perpetuating the conflict, the chances of achieving a peaceful resolution remain slim. Without decisive action, Sudan risks descending into a catastrophic humanitarian disaster that will haunt the region—and the world—for decades to come.
