Sudan’s devastating civil war continues to be fueled by secret foreign arms shipments, with countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran reportedly supplying weapons, munitions, and drones to both factions.
Confidential assessments, a U.S. State Department-funded report, and captured weapons evidence have revealed these covert operations.
Recently, Sudanese military officers in Omdurman allowed The Washington Post journalists to examine a drone reportedly captured from the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with munitions for the device.
Photos of crates containing munitions, including one indicating a Serbian origin and UAE Armed Forces Joint Logistics Command label, were also provided.
This evidence aligns with the Sudan Conflict Observatory’s findings, which tracked Emirati flights believed to be supplying weapons to the RSF. The Observatory’s report, shared ahead of its official release, tracked 32 flights between June 2023 and May 2024, confirming with near certainty that they were part of UAE’s arms support to the RSF.
The RSF has denied receiving any such assistance, and the UAE has also rejected these allegations, asserting that they have not supplied weapons to any faction involved in Sudan’s conflict.
Sudan’s military, meanwhile, has also benefited from foreign-supplied armed drones, notably from Iran.
The report indicates that at least seven flights from Iran to Sudan occurred between December 2023 and July 2024, with four of these flights believed to carry military equipment.
Iranian officials have yet to respond to inquiries, but Sudanese security sources have confirmed these deliveries, despite official denials.
While foreign arms involvement has been previously reported, new insights into the frequency and scale of flights from the UAE and Iran have surfaced.
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has displaced millions, and while international peace efforts have faltered, regional powers continue to escalate tensions through military aid.
The war poses a significant threat to regional stability, with countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Russia closely monitoring developments due to Sudan’s strategic location along the Red Sea, a major global trade route.
As international attention focuses on the crisis, concerns grow over Sudan’s potential descent into further instability, with competing interests in the region fueling the violence.
The situation is a stark reminder of how arms inflows from foreign powers can exacerbate and prolong conflicts in fragile states.