In April 2023, a war broke out in Sudan between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces militia. It is estimated that millions were displaced and thousands were killed. The UN now considers the country to have the worst humanitarian crisis.

But this war is mainly fueled by external actors, primarily the UAE, which is backing the RSF militia. Western countries, while declaring neutrality, are in reality complicit in the UAE’s plot in different ways. This stance, if not corrected, will undoubtedly prolong the war and the suffering of the Sudanese people. 

Despite ample evidence that the UAE is diverting arms to the RSF militia, Western countries kept selling them to the UAE,  for instance, in October 2025, a news report exposed that UK military equipment, such as small-arms target systems and British-made engines for armoured personnel carriers were found to be used by the militia in Sudan. Both Australian and Canadian companies continued to sell weapons to the UAE without placing any restrictions on their final destination.  In November 2024, Amnesty International revealed that French-manufactured weapon systems incorporated into armoured personnel carriers made by the United Arab Emirates were identified in Sudan. Indeed, the supplying of these arms represents a stark violation of the UN arms embargo resolutions in Darfur, which was renewed in September 2025, and its goal is to bring stability to the region by prohibiting arms shipments to the region

Western countries also worked to cover the dire consequences of the UAE’s intervention in Sudan. In December 2026, a whistleblower revealed that the UK Foreign Office deleted an alert threat of genocidal violence by the RSF to protect the UAE. The UK also attempted to suppress any criticism of the UAE over its role in Sudan by putting pressure on African diplomats. Recently, the EU removed the mention of the UAE in a resolution condemning the genocide in Sudan. In the U.S., legislation aimed to stop arms sales to the UAE because of its support for the miltia was blocked by the Senate. 

In some cases, there have been direct connections between the West and the militia. For example, the UK Foreign Office hold secret talks with the militia, and European institutions used the services of the RSF security company in Sudan. Moreover, Analysts and watchdog groups have long questioned how the EU-RSF deal to control the border supported the militia financially and legitimized its existence.

The West leveraged sanctions to absorb this pressure and to be perceived as neutral in this war. These sanctions are usually imposed on both the Sudanese army and the RSF leadership, as well as the companies associated with them, but they have never achieved their stated goal of ending the war. 

On the other hand, there have been several independent and moral voices emerged in the West. For instance, British MPs across parties demand arms sales to the UAE. Canadian civil society is calling for the end of arms exports to the UAE, US legislators are criticizing the U.S. role in Sudan, and are requesting the designation of RSF as a terrorist organization. The socialist and democratic group at the European Council urged action to end Sudan’s war and regretted the omission of the UAE’s name. In the U.S., the known singer, Macklemore, decided to cancel his show in the UAE. Activists such as  Activist Greta Thunberg called for stopping visiting the UAE. A giant billboard in London was installed, highlighting the role of the UAE in Sudan. There have also been calls for the NBA to terminate its partnership with the UAE. Importantly, the Yale Humanitarian Lab has been crucial in documenting and monitoring the atrocities of the war. The student body of the University of Maryland urged the university to cut ties with the UAE, and a Swiss-based watchdog group requested more scrutiny on the gold imported from the UAE that could be fueling the genocide in Sudan

Evidently, without the support and the political coverage of the Western governments, the UAE can’t continue in its war in Sudan. 

More pressure from activists and civil society in the West is needed. It’s time for these governments to be held accountable for their actions and to stop the ongoing bloody war in Sudan. 

Mohamed Suliman

Mohamed Suliman is a researcher and writer based in Boston. His recent articles tackle the War in Sudan. He holds a degree in engineering from the University of Khartoum.