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US senators move to block UAE arms over Sudan's RSF

Van Hollen and Jacobs say the UAE is arming the RSF in contradiction of its assurances; resolutions of disapproval target Emirati weapons sales as Abu Dhabi denies all

Defence· active Whose Money·What They're Not Saying ·12 takes · ·rbtfl upd Jul 1, 2026
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developments

  1. Amnesty International's 'City Under Siege' report documented RSF crimes against humanity in El Fasher, including ethnic cleansing, and assessed the acts 'may be relevant to the crime of genocide', sharply raising the international legal stakes for UAE arms suppliers. ↗

  2. Lighthouse Reports, Der Spiegel, and the Ayin Network published a joint investigation tracing a UAE-to-Libya-to-Sudan supply chain through bases at Seweidiya, Sabha, al-Jufra and Camp 17 near Benghazi; an RSF-led Tasis Alliance spokesman conceded 'The Emirates gave it to us'. ↗

  3. Senate Foreign Relations Committee markup: Van Hollen's amendment to ban US military equipment sales to the UAE while it supports the RSF failed 15-7, with four Democrats joining all Republicans. Van Hollen called it 'a missed opportunity'. ↗

The split

The same story, as told by newsrooms in different countries. Their words, attributed and linked.

United Kingdom

The New Arab

“HRW calls the UAE's RSF ties the 'worst-kept open secret' and urges US action.”

unlabelledread the original ↗

United States

Common Dreams (Van Hollen "missed opportunity")

“The no vote was 'a missed opportunity', Van Hollen said. 'The United States shouldn't just be talking about ending the slaughter in Sudan. We should actually be using our leverage.'”

progressive US mediaread the original ↗

United Kingdom

Amnesty International (El Fasher report)

“RSF actions in El Fasher between 2024 and 2025 constitute crimes against humanity and may be relevant to the crime of genocide.”

human-rights accountabilityread the original ↗

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Summary

US Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Sara Jacobs said the United Arab Emirates is providing weapons to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, contradicting assurances given to Washington. They introduced resolutions of disapproval, S.J.Res.51 to 54, co-sponsored by Murphy, Schatz, Kaine and Sanders, to block or pause UAE arms sales until the administration certifies Abu Dhabi is not supporting the RSF. Human Rights Watch has documented a UAE-based company hiring Colombian private military contractors, trained at UAE bases and deployed to support the RSF, while a UN Panel of Experts probed transfers said to violate the 2005 Darfur arms embargo. The UAE embassy denies all involvement, citing the April 2025 UN panel report as finding "no substantiated evidence." The fight tests how far Congress will press a partner Mohammed Bin Zayed has made central to US tech and defence ties.

By the numbers

  • 4, Senate disapproval resolutions (S.J.Res.51-54).
  • 2005, the Darfur arms embargo the transfers are said to violate.
  • 0, "substantiated evidence" the UAE says the UN panel found against it.

Why it matters

The resolutions pit Sudan's war, among the world's worst humanitarian crises, against the US-UAE relationship MBZ has built on AI chips, sovereign capital and the Iran ceasefire. Even if they fail, they signal congressional limits on the partnership and keep the RSF question attached to every future Emirati arms request.

What to watch

  • Whether any floor vote on S.J.Res.51-54 is scheduled after the SFRC amendment failed; Van Hollen's next legislative move.
  • How the Lighthouse Reports Libya-route investigation and the Amnesty El Fasher genocide assessment affect European and UN pressure on the UAE.
  • Any administration certification on UAE support to the RSF.
  • The IRC-warned North Kordofan (El Obeid) offensive: whether RSF arms materially enable new mass atrocities.

The briefing, by email