The European Parliament adopted a milestone resolution on July 8 that addresses the armed conflict in Sudan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks in El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan.
Civilians in El Obeid continue to suffer from unlawful attacks. “Drones strikes are daily,” one resident said. “They’re targeting infrastructure like water, fuel and the electricity station [that] we need for our survival.” Fifteen drone strikes killed at least 45 civilians in El Obeid and the surrounding area over three weeks in June.
The resolution is significant because for the first time it explicitly names the UAE as participating in and fueling the war in Sudan and calls for actions to end this support.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in 2023, diplomats and policymakers have steadfastly opposed naming the UAE. Delaying this step kept the European Parliament from denouncing the UAE’s support to the abusive RSF.
Nor had growing attention to the Sudan crisis in recent weeks resulted in greater focus on the UAE’s role. The United Nations Human Rights Council, which had previously denounced external support sustaining the conflict, did so again without naming the UAE.
Human Rights Watch research found that Colombian private military contractors, hired by a UAE-based company, transited through UAE military bases before being deployed to Sudan to support the RSF. We also found that Colombian fighters were present when the RSF captured El Fasher in 2025. This is further evidence that the UAE is assisting or otherwise substantially contributing to the RSF’s capacity to commit war crimes. They have also provided them with weapons and ammunition, some made in Europe, in violation of the UN arms embargo on Darfur.
With RSF’s abuses under the spotlight, the European Union should roll out targeted sanctions against entities, including the Abu Dhabi-based company Global Security Services Group and its chief executive officer, Mohamed Hamdan al-Zaabi, for apparently hiring the Colombian fighters, and other companies, such as airlines and airport operators, involved in the UAE air bridge to the RSF. They should suspend their military and defense cooperation with the UAE and ensure any further cooperation is contingent on the UAE government ending its support of the RSF.
