Investigation Reveals British Equipment Reached Militia Accused of Genocide in Sudan
Sudan Events – Agencies
A UN report has revealed that British-made military equipment has ended up in the hands of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — a militia accused of committing genocide and widespread war crimes — despite international restrictions and a global arms embargo.
The documents, submitted to the United Nations Security Council and covering the period between June 2024 and March 2025, confirm the discovery of British-manufactured small-arms targeting systems and armored vehicle engines at sites once controlled by the RSF in Khartoum and Omdurman.
UAE’s Role Under Scrutiny — and Britain in the Spotlight
According to the report, evidence suggests that the equipment was first shipped to the United Arab Emirates before being transferred to the RSF in Sudan, despite earlier UN warnings about the risk of diversion and illicit transfers.
This development has once again drawn attention to repeated accusations against the UAE of supplying weapons to the RSF — allegations Abu Dhabi has consistently denied.
The findings have raised tough questions for the British government over its possible role in facilitating the flow of arms into a warzone that has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Violation of Arms Embargo and Potential Legal Liability
Former UN expert Mike Lewis stated that the UK is legally bound not to authorize arms exports when there is a clear risk they could be used in serious violations, adding that granting such licenses “should never have happened.”
Information indicates that London continued issuing export licenses for similar equipment to the UAE even after the first evidence of arms diversion emerged — including an open export license in September 2024 allowing unlimited shipments without end-use monitoring.
Bloody Conflict and a Deepening Humanitarian Catastrophe
These revelations come as the war enters its third year, with devastating consequences:
Over 150,000 killed
12 million displaced
Nearly 25 million people suffering from acute food insecurity
Both warring sides — the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF — have been accused of committing war crimes against civilians.
Calls for Investigation and Accountability
Abdallah Idris Abu Garda, head of the Darfur Diaspora Association in the UK, has called for an urgent investigation to ensure that no British-made equipment is involved in atrocities against Sudanese civilians, urging “strict accountability to prevent international complicity.”
UK Government Response
The UK Foreign Office responded by saying that the country maintains “one of the strongest export control systems in the world,” asserting that every license is carefully assessed for risks of misuse or diversion, and that licenses are regularly denied where necessary.
Conclusion
The revelations place London at a moral and legal crossroads, raising pressing questions about the nature of its defense exports to the UAE amid mounting allegations of their use in one of the world’s deadliest conflicts.
