UAE supplying weapons to Rapid Support Forces: Sudanese Ambassador to India Eltom

Sudan is not in a state of civil war and is confronting attacks from “non-regional actors” that include the UAE, which is supplying weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia that has been killing civilians in El Fashir city in Darfur in western Sudan, said the Sudanese ambassador to India on Monday (November 3, 2025).

Addressing a press conference at the Embassy in New Delhi, Ambassador Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom said stopping the supply of weapons by the UAE to the RSF will be the “first step” in “ending the war”.

“Sudan is not facing a civil war. We are confronting conspiracies of non-regional actors. The RSF is acting like a proxy foreign powers and a few countries in the region are acting as corridors for arms supply to the RSF,” said Mr. Eltom, explaining that the UAE’s weapons are being channelled through Libya and Chad.

“The militia threatens to destabilise the entire region from the Red Sea to the Central African region. Therefore, the international community must designate the RSF as a terrorist organisation and impose targeted sanctions on them and on all weapons suppliers that are supporting the RSF,” said Mr. Eltom.

The RSF, which has been carrying out attacks in El Fashir, is using “strategic drones” that are capable of flying for long duration which indicate that state-level armed forces are involved in arming the RSF.

The Sudanese envoy acknowledged India’s humanitarian assistance to Sudan during the crisis that has been continuing since April 2023when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF for control of the major urban centres of the country. He appreciated India’s decision to maintain the embassy in Sudan despite the violence. In May 2023, India shifted its embassy from capital Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast which is relatively less affected by the conflict.

He also confirmed that an Indian national was captured by the RSF in El Fashir as militants entered the city on October 26.

“There is a communication blackout in El Fashir so we do not know much about him though we have the video of the Indian national. We are in contact with the Ministry of External Affairs andwe hope we can get him back soon,” said Mr. Eltom adding that “India can make a difference as it is a powerful actor.”

The envoy cited a report by Tom Fletcher, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, who has reported that “mass executions and starvation” are taking place in El Fashir after the RSF entered the city. He, however, assured that despite the attacks by the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continue to control 80% of the territory of Sudan and urged international diplomacy to stop the attacks by the RSF.