UAE’s French-designed arms found in Sudan amid ongoing civil war – JURIST

Amnesty International revealed on Thursday that the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are using United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) armoured carriers, incorporated with French military technology on the battlefield. The group highlighted the potential breach of the UN arms embargo on Darfur and calls on all countries to cease supplying weapons to the conflicting parties in Sudan.

The rights group, in a report published on November 14, 2024, uncovered that the UAE’s Edge Group manufactured the armoured vehicles and equipped them with the French-made Galix reactive defence system. The system is designed to protect against approaching threats. The report verified the Sudanese army capturing and destroying these vehicles, identified as Nimr Ajban armoured personnel carriers (APCs), which the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly used in their battle with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

The group noted that the presence of these military vehicles, notably in the Darfur region, constitutes a likely violation of the United Nations (UN) arms embargo on Sudan. The embargo prohibits the transfer of weapons to the country, especially given its tumultuous history with armed militias, including the RSF.

Amnesty International’s Secretary-General, Agnès Callamard, called on the French government to halt further supplies of this system to the UAE, arguing that its use in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, would breach international arms regulations. In a statement to the Guardian, the UAE government denied providing weapons or support to the RSF.

Amnesty’s findings underscore the urgent need for effective enforcement of arms embargoes to prevent further escalation of violence in Sudan.

The Sudanese civil war, which erupted in April 2023, has already claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced nearly 12 million people. The conflict, sustained by advanced weaponry, has perpetuated severe human rights abuses, including reported cases of ethnic cleansing, sexual violence, and mass displacements. UN officials, including Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, have reiterated calls for external backers to cease arms supplies, warning that continued weapon transfers exacerbate violence and hinder peace efforts.