Sudan militia implicated in war crimes used UK military equipment, UN told

Recent revelations have exposed the use of British-manufactured military equipment by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), raising serious questions about the UK’s arms export policies. Documents reviewed by the UN Security Council, as reported by The Guardian, confirm that small-arms target systems and armoured personnel carrier engines, recovered from Sudanese combat zones, were produced in the UK. This discovery has intensified scrutiny of British arms exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key supporter of the RSF. The UAE has been accused of supplying weapons, funds, and political backing to the RSF, which has been implicated in war crimes and genocide allegations. Two dossiers, dated June 2024 and March 2025 and compiled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), provide evidence of UAE support for the RSF. These documents include images of British-made equipment, such as small-arms target devices and engines, recovered from RSF sites in Khartoum and Omdurman. A UK Foreign Office spokesperson defended the country’s export control regime, stating it is one of the most robust globally, with strict assessments to prevent diversion to undesirable end users. However, critics argue that the UK government has failed to prevent the UAE from diverting arms to embargoed countries and groups violating international humanitarian law. The situation worsened as the RSF stormed the North Darfur city of el-Fasher, capturing an army base and causing widespread fear of atrocities. This attack followed the collapse of US-sponsored ceasefire talks in Washington, where the UAE reportedly refused to address the crisis in el-Fasher. The RSF’s actions have further destabilized the region, highlighting the urgent need for international intervention to address the ongoing conflict in Sudan.