Le Monde reveals: How Abu Dhabi and Europe fueled Sudan’s chaos

The French daily Le Monde reported on Monday that after the fall of El Fasher on October 26 to RSF troops led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, massacres in the capital of North Darfur are still ongoing, with thousands already reported dead.

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on October 30, merely expressing “concern” and confirming that mass executions had taken place. The European Union also condemned the “brutality” of the RSF, promising to use “all diplomatic tools” to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

However, Sudanese activists, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and analysts have condemned the global community’s inaction. Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair, founder of Confluence Advisory, told Le Monde: “Western countries issue condemnations, but do nothing.”

A Western diplomat, speaking anonymously, told the paper: “The El Fasher tragedy was not a surprise — we’ve known for a long time that this was coming. Western nations limited themselves to empty statements and share collective responsibility. They looked the other way.”

After 18 months of siege that starved around 200,000 civilians, the disaster in El Fasher was entirely predictable. Before the war, the city had a population of 1.5 million, but relentless RSF airstrikes forced many to flee.

Meanwhile, a European Parliament delegation recently traveled to the UAE, where officials reportedly welcomed them with lavish gifts. The same delegation had earlier voiced opposition to resolutions condemning Emirati involvement in Sudan. UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan personally received the group.

UAE’s role in undermining peace talks

According to Le Monde, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE secretly invited delegations from Sudan’s army and the RSF to Washington to sign a three-month ceasefire agreement — but the talks collapsed, reportedly due to Emirati interference, and formally failed on October 25.

Observers doubt Abu Dhabi was unaware of the offensive its allies were preparing. Following the atrocities in El Fasher, the UAE and its European partners now face growing scrutiny for their complicity.

Kholood Khair added: “Western countries were deceived by the RSF and the UAE, allowing these militias to use diplomacy as political cover while committing atrocities. During the Jeddah talks in summer 2023, the RSF was carrying out ethnic cleansing in El Geneina. During the London summit, they were committing horrific crimes in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur.”

She continued, “Western hesitation to act in Sudan stems from their intertwined interests with the UAE — particularly over Ukraine and Gaza.”

Although Abu Dhabi vehemently denies providing military support to the RSF, multiple investigations suggest otherwise. Since the war began, the UAE has reportedly leveraged its wealth and influence to back General Hemedti — a longtime ally and major supplier of smuggled gold to Dubai.

Le Monde writes that Abu Dhabi established an air bridge to deliver advanced weapons to Hemedti, including Chinese drones, light and heavy arms, vehicles, ammunition, sophisticated air-defense systems, and even hundreds of Colombian mercenaries. These transfers relied on a complex logistics network spanning Chad, Libya, South Sudan, Uganda, and the Somali port of Bosaso.

Western partners of the UAE have also allegedly funneled weapons to the RSF — in direct violation of the Sudan arms embargo. According to Amnesty International, military equipment of French, British, Canadian, and Bulgarian origin has reached the group.

Le Monde further reports that the European Union has turned a blind eye to Emirati arms shipments. In July, the U.S. intelligence community revealed that a ship carrying ammunition and hundreds of trucks left Emirati ports for Benghazi, Libya — en route to Sudan. Despite inspections, the ship was allowed to proceed.

Cameron Hudson, a former CIA official and analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Le Monde: “Since the army retook Khartoum in April 2025, Emirati support for the RSF has doubled. Abu Dhabi will do whatever it takes to ensure the RSF’s victory — even if it means enabling today’s atrocities in El Fasher.”

Although Sudan’s army has also committed war crimes, the UAE’s steady supply of advanced weaponry has given Hemedti’s forces a decisive edge. Hudson emphasized: “Without Emirati backing for the RSF, this war would have been over long ago.”

The next likely target, according to Le Monde, is El Obeid in North Kordofan, which has been under siege for two years. The RSF has already committed atrocities there, particularly in the Bara area, where at least 47 people — including five Red Cross workers — were killed.