UAE Accused of Backing Sudan’s RSF Through Libya-Based Training and Supply Networks
A new investigation alleges that the United Arab Emirates (United Arab Emirates) continues to support Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through a network of training camps and supply routes operating in Libya.
The report, based on sources in Sudan, Egypt, and Libya, claims RSF fighters are being trained at multiple sites in eastern and southern Libya under the influence of forces linked to Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF). It says these camps provide military training, logistics, fuel, and vehicles for RSF operations.
Defectors from the RSF said weapons and equipment used in training were supplied through Emirati channels, with some describing direct air deliveries. One defector claimed that without UAE backing, the RSF would not be able to continue fighting effectively.
The investigation identifies several alleged training locations, including areas near al-Kufra, Sabha, al-Jufra, and Benghazi, which are said to serve as hubs for weapons distribution and fighter movement into Sudan.
It also alleges that mercenaries, including foreign contractors, have been present at some sites, alongside training in heavy weapons systems such as machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and artillery.
The RSF, the UAE, and Haftar-aligned forces have all denied involvement in supplying or supporting armed activity in Sudan. The UAE maintains its operations in the region are humanitarian in nature.
The report further claims that supply routes extend from Libya into Chad and onward into Sudan’s Darfur region, where the RSF is active in a prolonged conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces.
The war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with large-scale displacement and widespread allegations of atrocities.
