·
·
Thursday, 3 September 2026dailybeirut.com
World
A UN fact-finding mission accused entities in the UAE, Chad, Libya, and Somalia of supplying weapons, drones, foreign fighters, and training to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, while documenting war crimes by both warring parties.
A United Nations fact-finding mission reported on Thursday that foreign weapons, military technology, fighters, and supply networks are prolonging the war in Sudan. The panel found these networks have expanded the operational reach of both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, enabling attacks deep into civilian areas.
The war, which began in April 2023, has displaced more than 14 million people and generated one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. According to the report, over 1,000 people were killed in drone strikes during the first five months of 2026 alone. The mission attributed these casualties to violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law by both sides—violations it said may amount to war crimes.
Investigators concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe a transnational network involving individuals and entities in the United Arab Emirates, Chad, Libya, and Somalia supplied the Rapid Support Forces with arms, equipment, logistics, training, and foreign personnel. Approximately 2,000 Colombian contractors were identified as having assisted in operating and maintaining drone systems; some were present during operations around El Fasher in Darfur.
The UAE mission in Geneva rejected the allegations, stating it had not provided weapons or military equipment. Somalia’s government said it takes the claims seriously and confirmed it has not permitted the use of its territory for military purposes, though it acknowledged “gaps” in information sharing.
The panel noted its investigation into the Sudanese Armed Forces remains in early stages but has already uncovered evidence that combat drones and loitering munitions imported from abroad have enhanced the military’s long-range strike capability. Some of those systems were used in attacks on civilian sites, including the Yabous market in Blue Nile state.
The report documented a Sudanese Armed Forces attack on the Al-Da’ain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur that killed at least 70 people. It also cited repeated Rapid Support Forces assaults on electricity and fuel facilities in Al-Abyad, North Kordofan, between May and July 2026—attacks that disrupted water supplies, health services, and transportation.
The mission renewed its call for enforcement of the existing arms embargo on Darfur and urged the UN Security Council to extend the ban to cover all of Sudan.
