Prominent U.S. Senators have renewed their accusations against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), claiming it is supplying weapons and tools of death to militias targeting civilians in Sudan, specifically through its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). They urged President Donald Trump not to proceed with a $1.6 billion arms deal initiated during his visit to the Gulf region, which concluded on Friday.
Senator Chris Van Hollen published a statement on his U.S. Congress page, joined by other lawmakers, objecting to the arms deal that would supply the UAE with military equipment. They called for halting the deal until the UAE can prove it will not supply the RSF with these weapons.
Van Hollen stated: “I have said time and again that the United States should not provide weapons to the UAE until it stops arming the deadly Rapid Support Forces – a paramilitary group in Sudan that has prolonged the civil war, caused a humanitarian disaster, and committed genocide. The U.S. must not deliver weapons to the UAE while it is contributing to this human catastrophe and blatant human rights abuses.”
The statement added that Democratic Senators Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Brian Schatz, Tim Kaine, and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders submitted joint resolutions to reject the $1.6 billion arms sales deal to the UAE. The resolution before the Senate seeks to block three specific arms deals due to alleged UAE involvement in the Sudanese civil war and concerns over cryptocurrency-related ties.
This came on the same day that Republican President Donald Trump announced $200 billion in new deals with Gulf countries while “actively participating in the corruption of U.S. foreign policy,” the statement said.
Concerns were also raised over the UAE’s reported arming of the RSF, which has killed tens of thousands in Sudan and escalated the civil war there.
The three deals include:
- Six CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters and associated equipment, worth $1.32 billion
- F-16 aircraft components, accessories, and defense services, worth $130 million
- Spare parts and repair services for the UAE’s fleet of AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, along with logistical and software support, worth $150 million
