Darfur Joint Force seize weapons convoy, accuse UAE of arming RSF

November 21, 2024 (EL FASHER) – The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) said on Thursday its fighters participating in Darfur Joint Force had intercepted a convoy smuggling weapons from Chad to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur, accusing the United Arab Emirates of backing the paramilitary group.

The SLM, led by Minni Minawi, said in a statement that the weapons were seized during an operation by a Joint Force in the desert region bordering Chad and Libya. The statement, seen by Sudan Tribune, claimed the RSF uses the vast desert area to transport military equipment to Darfur for distribution to its elements across the country.

“Within the framework of the Joint Force’s continuous efforts to secure Sudan’s borders and protect its lands from smuggling and terrorism attempts, your joint forces…were able to thwart an attempt to smuggle large quantities of weapons,” the statement said.

Videos released by the SLM showed a number of combat vehicles, ammunition boxes and Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, alongside a Colombian military identity card and a Colombian passport with an exit visa from Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai dated October.

The Sudanese government has accused the UAE of supplying the RSF with weapons via Chad, and then smuggling them into Sudan.

“This failed attempt clearly highlights the continued reliance of the Rapid Support militia on external sources for arms supplies and its support with mercenary elements to destabilize the security and stability of Sudan,” the statement said.

The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has been fighting alongside the Sudanese army against various armed groups in Darfur since the conflict re-erupted in 2023.

The UAE has not yet responded to these accusations.