The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged not to supply weapons to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to US lawmakers.
This assurance follows intense scrutiny in Washington over the UAE’s alleged role in Sudan’s brutal civil war, which has left tens of thousands dead and millions on the brink of famine since April 2023.
In response to the UAE’s commitment, US lawmakers dropped efforts to block a $1.2 billion arms sale to the Gulf nation. The White House, in a letter to Senator Chris Van Hollen, confirmed that the UAE had promised it is not transferring arms to the RSF and will not do so in the future. 
The UAE previously denied arming the RSF, despite accusations, including reports by UN experts last year, that weapons had been funneled to the RSF via Chad. The White House has pledged to verify the UAE’s assurances by January 17, 2025, with lawmakers vowing to monitor compliance closely.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the UN Security Council to hold external actors accountable for exacerbating Sudan’s crisis, describing the situation as one of the worst humanitarian disasters globally. He announced an additional $200 million in US aid for Sudan, where 1.7 million people face or are at risk of famine.
The ongoing conflict has seen the RSF seize much of Darfur and Kordofan, while Sudan’s regular army controls the north and east. The capital, Khartoum, remains a contested battleground, further compounding the plight of millions caught in the conflict.
Will global intervention help end the suffering in Sudan, or will the crisis deepen further?
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