Amnesty International has confirmed that advanced Chinese weapons provided by the United Arab States (UAE) to the Rapid Support Forces militia (RSF) Militia are being used in violation of the arms embargo in Sudan.
In a recent report, the organization stated, "Civilians are being killed and injured as a result of global inaction." This is due to the weapons provided by the UAE to the militia, which included guided bombs and Norinco howitzers used in attacks.
Amnesty International revealed, in its report, that advanced Chinese weapons were seized in the capital, Khartoum, which the UAE had re-exported to the militia at the time and used in Darfur, in clear violation of the UN arms embargo.
Amnesty International's report indicated that, through analyzing photos and videos showing the aftermath of attacks carried out by the Rapid Support Forces, Amnesty International identified the use of GB50A guided bombs and AH-4 155mm howitzers. This is the first time the use of GB50A bombs has been documented in any war anywhere in the world.
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The organization added that these weapons are manufactured by Norinco, a Chinese state-owned defense company, and were likely re-exported to Sudan by the UAE for use by the militia.
Brian Castner, Head of Crisis Research at Amnesty International, said, "This is clear evidence that advanced Chinese-made guided bombs and howitzers have been used in Sudan. The presence of modern Chinese-made bombs in North Darfur is a clear violation of the UAE's arms embargo.
The documentation of AH-4s in Khartoum adds to the growing evidence of widespread UAE support for the Rapid Support Forces, in violation of international law."
He added, "It is shameful that the Security Council is not enforcing the current arms embargo on Darfur. Civilians are being killed and injured due to global inaction, while the UAE continues to violate the embargo. The UAE must immediately stop transferring arms to the Rapid Support Forces. Until it does so, all states must also halt arms exports to the UAE."
The head of Amnesty International's Crisis Research Unit called on China, as a party to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to take urgent measures to prevent the diversion of weapons to Sudan. He explained that by continuing to supply these weapons to the UAE, a country with a long record of transferring weapons to war zones where war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law are being committed, China risks indirectly diverting weapons to the war in Sudan.
He added that the UAE, as a signatory to the ATT, has consistently undermined the treaty's purpose and principles. All states must halt arms transfers to the UAE until the UAE ensures that no weapons are re-exported to Sudan or other embargoed destinations, and that all previous violations of the UN Security Council arms embargo are fully investigated and those responsible are held accountable.
Amnesty International's report cited evidence of the UAE's supply of weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the use of these weapons.
The report cites a RSF drone attack near the town of Al-Malha in North Darfur, which local media and a Sudanese human rights organization reported killed 13 people and injured several others.
By analyzing digital evidence of the bomb remnants used in the attack, Amnesty International identified it as a GB50A guided aerial bomb manufactured by Norinco. Markings on the fragments indicate that the bomb was manufactured in 2024. These bombs can be dropped from various Chinese drones, including the Wing Loong II and the FeiHong-95, both of which are used exclusively by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan and were supplied by the UAE.
Images of the fragments show the distinctive fins and arcs on the rear, which helped Amnesty International identify this previously undocumented bomb in its report. The well-preserved markings also match reference images of the bomb, including the font, color, and printing style.
In another incident, videos circulating on social media showed the Sudanese Armed Forces seizing weapons abandoned by the Rapid Support Forces after they were forced to retreat from Khartoum on March 27 and 28, 2025.
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Amnesty International identified one of the weapons in the video as a Norinco-manufactured AH-4 155mm howitzer. The UAE is the only country in the world to have imported this type of cannon from China, and this occurred in 2019, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
This indicates that the UAE continues to provide support to the Rapid Support Forces, according to similar findings by the UN Panel of Experts on Sudan and other reports.
Amnesty International has previously published evidence of the UAE's violations of the arms embargo, including its supply of Wing Loong drones to Libya.
The organization held the Norinco Group accountable for its failure to respect human rights across its global operations, requiring it to conduct comprehensive human rights risk assessments across its entire supply chain to identify, prevent, and mitigate any actual or potential involvement in human rights violations. The group must urgently review all its past, current, and future military exports to the UAE and halt arms exports to the UAE if it continues to divert weapons to Sudan.
