Eight receive life sentences in UAE for Sudan arms trade

An appellate court in Abu Dhabi sentenced eight individuals to life in prison on Thursday for their roles in a network that trafficked weapons to the Sudanese military and laundered related funds. The ruling marks a formal legal conclusion to a case that has strained diplomatic ties between the two nations.

According to the Emirati state-run news agency WAM, the court determined that the defendants participated in an integrated scheme to illicitly move weapons, ammunition, and military equipment. The group used companies and bank accounts within the United Arab Emirates to forge documents, a method designed to conceal the origin and destination of the money tied to the arms deals.

The court ordered the confiscation of specific items, including ammunition and communications devices used during the crimes. It also mandated that the convicted individuals be deported from the UAE once they complete their sentences. The judicial order stated that the activities of the network endangered national interests through the combination of arms deals and financial laundering.

The legal outcome arrives amid deteriorating relations between the UAE and Sudan. The Sudanese army has accused Abu Dhabi of supplying arms to the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that has fought the military since April 2023. The UAE has denied these allegations, though the court's findings now formally link Emirati residents to the funding of the army's equipment.

The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than 14 million people and created severe shortages of food and basic necessities. This week, the fighting intensified in the western region of Darfur. Military drones struck a busy city market in Nyala, killing more than 100 people, mostly women and children, in an area frequently used by RSF fighters.

Doctors Without Borders reported that a second attack hit a nearby civilian neighborhood. The organization said a hospital in Nyala received 36 bodies in the hours following that strike, with 21 of the victims wearing civilian clothing. Medical teams also treated more than 150 wounded patients in the emergency room. The UN Human Rights office has previously accused the RSF of war crimes and a possible crime against humanity during its takeover of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.