Sudan war: The UAE's role in this conflict is under increasing scrutiny - and so is Britain's

The scale of the war in Sudan is hard to take in.

Hundreds of thousands of people are thought to have died – possibly up to a million. Millions have been displaced.

As one analyst put it this week on Sky News, a population the size of the entire metropolitan area of New York and its five boroughs has had to get up and flee the fighting.

It is also a war that has been overlooked, not attracting the same amount of attention or coverage as Ukraine and Gaza, for instance.

Outside powers are accused not only of ignoring it but also meddling in the conflict.

The role of the United Arab Emirates and its American and British allies is under increasing scrutiny.

The UAE claims it is not involved in any military sense in the war in Sudan, but fewer and fewer people believe them, and evidence is stacking up against those claims.

Read more:
UAE labelled 'main backer' behind Sudan war

Nathaniel A Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, said: "The UK has not once called on the United Arab Emirates to stop arming the RSF with extremely advanced weapons, including a tier one drone system, including electronic jamming, missile launch and suicide drones.

"It was those drone systems and artillery systems that we know US intelligence concurs came from the United Arab Emirates, which allowed rapid support forces to take out Al Fashir. And slaughter tens of thousands of civilians."

Al Fashir witnessed a genocidal massacre a year ago.

What can the UK do?

Britain potentially has a key role in ending the conflict thanks to its clout at the UN and its close relationship with the UAE.

With a new prime minister, the UK has a chance to make amends, says Mr Raymond, and help end the war by reining in its Gulf allies.

"Prime Minister Burnham should walk out in front of 10 Downing Street and say one sentence," he said.

"The UK and its allies have concluded that the UAE is arming the Rapid Support Forces, who have been credibly accused of committing a genocide in Al Fashir."

Sky News has approached the UAE government for comment.

Both the UK and US are reported to have received intelligence assessments showing the UAE is supplying military and other support for the RSF and thus extending this brutal war.

A year ago, Sky News reported evidence the paramilitaries are being given lethal support by the UAE despite their genocidal record.

A former RSF intelligence officer confirmed the Gulf state was funnelling weapons to the rebels, including armoured vehicles in return for lucrative mineral contracts.

British military technology and parts are also reportedly ending up on the battlefield in Sudan, having been supplied to the UAE.

British officials say internal reviews found no explicit breaches of the existing UK-Sudan arms embargo or standard export control regulations in these specific tracing reports.

Britain has extensive economic and military ties with the UAE and sees it as part of an allied counterbalance to the power of Iran in the region. This may partly explain its reluctance to criticise it in public despite growing evidence a close ally has been aiding and abetting the genocidal rampage of the RSF in Sudan.

(c) Sky News 2026: Sudan war: The UAE's role in this conflict is under increasing scrutiny - and so is Britain's