Sudan civil war: Leaked UN report points to possible arms flights from UAE, raises concern over support for RSF

Pressure is mounting on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over its involvement in a key London conference aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan, following allegations in a leaked United Nations report suggesting the Gulf nation may be covertly supplying arms to Sudan’s paramilitary forces.

The Guardian , citing the “highly confidential” document, details a series of flights from the UAE that allegedly attempted to evade detection as they landed in Chad, near a border area where illicit weapons transfers into Sudan have been reported. The UAE has repeatedly denied any role in providing arms to Sudanese paramilitaries.

The 14-page November report, prepared for the Sudan sanctions committee of the UN Security Council by a panel of five experts, identifies what it calls a “consistent pattern of Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo flights originating from the United Arab Emirates” and landing in Chad. From there, the experts said, at least three overland routes could be used to move weapons into Sudan.

According to the report, the flights established a “new regional air bridge” and often went dark for “crucial segments” of their journeys, suggesting potential covert operations. However, the experts said they had no direct evidence of arms on board the planes.

In their November update, the UN experts looked into potential arms smuggling routes from Chad into Darfur, assessing whether these activities violated an existing arms embargo. They cited at least 24 Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo flights landing at Amdjarass airport in Chad last year, concurrent with a surge of drone attacks— mainly by the RSF for both combat and intelligence— in and around El Fasher.

The experts noted that some of the cargo flight operators had been previously linked to “military logistics and illicit arms transfers” and, in two cases, flagged for prior arms embargo violations. They specifically identified “regular departures” from airports in Ras Al-Khaimah and Al Ain, in the UAE, to Chad. The flights, they said, frequently went off radar mid-journey and then reappeared while returning to the UAE.

Scrutiny of the UAE’s alleged support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) comes after a weekend in which RSF fighters reportedly killed more than 200 civilians. The attacks occurred in and around displacement camps and near El Fasher— the last major city in Darfur still under government control.

In January, the United States formally declared that RSF fighters had committed genocide in Sudan. The UAE insists it is dedicated to finding a “lasting peace” for the country.