# 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

**Meta:** type: story · date: 2026-06-24 · heads: 谁的钱, 他们没说的 · 8 takes · 1 lenses · 4 regions

## Summary

US Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Sara Jacobs said the [United Arab Emirates](/zh/entity/united-arab-emirates)
is providing weapons to [Sudan](/zh/entity/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](/zh/entity/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 disapproval resolution reaches a floor vote and its margin.
- Any administration certification on UAE support to the RSF.
- Fresh UN panel or HRW documentation of transfers.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### unlabelled
- **Office of Senator Van Hollen** (United States, en) — The senators' own statement asserting, on the record, that the UAE is providing weapons to Sudan's RSF in contradiction of assurances to the US — the primary congressional document behind the disapproval resolutions.
  Source: https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-jacobs-confirm-uae-providing-weapons-to-rsf-in-sudan-in-contradiction-to-its-assurances-to-us
- **Embassy of the UAE (Washington)** (United Arab Emirates, en) — The UAE's official denial, citing the April 2025 UN Panel of Experts report as showing 'no substantiated evidence' of Emirati support to any warring party — the government's record of its position.
  Source: https://www.uae-embassy.org/news/statement-embassy-united-arab-emirates-regarding-sudan
- **The New Arab** (United Kingdom, en) — Pan-Arab outlet leads with HRW's 'worst-kept open secret' characterisation of UAE-RSF ties and documentation of arms transfers, treating the denial as untenable against the evidence.
  > "HRW calls the UAE's RSF ties the 'worst-kept open secret' and urges US action."
  Source: https://www.newarab.com/news/worst-kept-open-secret-hrw-urges-action-uae-rsf-sudan-ties
- **The Cradle** (Lebanon, en) — West Asia outlet centres the UN Panel of Experts probe and the 2005 Darfur arms-embargo violations, framing the story through international-law breach and great-power complicity rather than US politics.
  > "A UN panel probes UAE transfers said to violate the Darfur arms embargo."
  Source: https://thecradle.co/articles-id/30410
- **Office of Rep. Sara Jacobs** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://sarajacobs.house.gov/news/press-releases/jacobs-van-hollen-confirm-uae-providing-weapons-to-rsf-in-sudan-in-contradiction-to-its-assurances-to-us
- **Responsible Statecraft** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/uae-sudan/
- **Just Security** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://www.justsecurity.org/113703/lawmakers-block-uae-arms-sales/
- **Truthout** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://truthout.org/articles/us-urged-to-end-arms-sales-to-uae-as-it-backs-genocidal-paramilitary-in-sudan/

## Across the graph
- Related: [[mbz-iran-ceasefire-hormuz]]
- Entities: Mohammed Bin Zayed, United Arab Emirates, Sudan

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/zh/n/uae-rsf-sudan-arms-senate