NAIROBI, Kenya – Sudan’s army-aligned government has accused Kenya of serving as a conduit for weapons supplied by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), escalating regional tensions amid the brutal civil war that has raged since April 2023.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry alleged that “Kenyan-labelled arms and ammunition” were recently found in RSF weapon caches in Khartoum, accusing Nairobi of actively aiding the militia through Emirati connections.
“Kenya has been one of the main conduits of the Emirati military supplies to the terrorist RSF militia,” the ministry said, referencing a broader regional dynamic in which multiple countries have been accused of stoking the conflict.
Worsening Accusations and Diplomatic Fallout
The Sudanese army and the RSF—led by army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and former deputy-turned-rival Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo—have repeatedly accused each other of receiving foreign military support, including from the UAE, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Russia.
Kenya has long angered Khartoum by hosting RSF-linked figures and, in February, served as the venue for a rival charter signed by the paramilitary group and its allies to establish a breakaway government. Sudan has since imposed a ban on imports from Kenya.
According to Tuesday’s statement, Kenya allegedly “admitted” the UAE’s involvement in supporting the RSF to exploit Sudan’s natural resources and gain access to the Red Sea.
The accusation referred to a now-deleted June 16 post on X (formerly Twitter) by Kenyan government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, which read: “Egypt and Iran back (the Sudanese Armed Forces); the UAE backs RSF.”
The Kenyan government has not issued an official response to the Sudanese claims.
A Region on Edge
The war between the army and RSF has devastated Sudan, killing tens of thousands and displacing more than 13 million people, according to humanitarian agencies.
The United Nations has consistently warned against foreign meddling. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an end to arms transfers to both parties, noting that “outside powers are fuelling the fire” without naming specific states.
The UAE has repeatedly denied reports that it is arming the RSF, despite growing evidence presented by UN experts, U.S. lawmakers, and rights groups.
Sudan severed diplomatic ties with Abu Dhabi in March, labeling the UAE an “aggressor state.”
Meanwhile, Sudan’s army-led government has pivoted toward closer ties with Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Russia since the war began, reshaping regional alliances.
Fighting Intensifies, Health Sector Targeted
On the ground, fighting remains relentless. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday condemned a drone strike that killed over 40 civilians at Al-Mujlad Hospital in West Kordofan over the weekend.
According to Emergency Lawyers, a volunteer conflict monitoring group, the attack was carried out by army forces. The incident adds to the mounting toll on Sudan’s collapsing health infrastructure.
