Today, Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced that, based on a Biden Administration briefing and as also demonstrated by recent reporting, they have confirmed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is providing weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, in direct contradiction to the assurances it has made to the United States.
The announcement follows their push for the Biden Administration to secure assurances that the UAE would not supply weapons to the RSF and that the Administration would monitor compliance with those assurances, which the Administration agreed to in response to their legislation to block arms sales to the UAE.
After filing their Joint Resolution of Disapproval on the Administration’s proposed $1.2 billion arms sale to the UAE, the lawmakers wrote to President Biden that their objective was to stop the transfer of arms from the UAE to the RSF, which the United States has charged with genocide, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing in Sudan.
Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “The war between the RSF and the SAF in Sudan has ripped the country apart, displacing millions of people and leaving over half of Sudan’s population in need of humanitarian support. And despite its assurances, we now know that the UAE has continued arming the RSF – ensuring this war and this devastation goes on. The U.S. has the opportunity to end this war and bring stability to Sudan by withholding weapons to the UAE and essentially cutting off the supply chain to the RSF. That’s why I will try to block any future offensive arms sale to the UAE in a push for peace, aid, justice, and accountability for the people of Sudan.”
“The civil war in Sudan has torn apart the country, leaving over 25 million of its people, half of the population, in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. The Biden Administration rightly determined the RSF has committed genocide and sanctioned the RSF’s leaders. Given these facts, it’s clear that the United States must do all in our power to prevent weapons and support from reaching the RSF. However, based on my conversations with the Biden Administration, it’s clear that the UAE is continuing to provide weapons to the murderous RSF, violating the assurances provided to the former Administration. It is imperative that the United States not provide weapons to countries that are in turn providing military support to the RSF and complicit in its genocidal actions. That is why I will seek to block any future offensive arms transfer to the UAE until it has complied with its promise to the United States to cease transferring weapons to the RSF. The UAE is an important partner in the Middle East, but the United States cannot turn a blind eye to its aiding and abetting the suffering in Sudan,” said Senator Van Hollen.
