Military Space News
AFRICA NEWS
UAE says will not arm Sudan paramilitary RSF: White House
UAE says will not arm Sudan paramilitary RSF: White House
By Shaun Tandon with Gregory Walton at the United Nations
Washington (AFP) Dec 20, 2024

The United Arab Emirates has informed the United States that it will not arm paramilitaries in Sudan's brutal civil war, US lawmakers long critical of the Gulf power's role quoted the White House as saying on Thursday.

The assurance came as the United States announced $200 million in new aid for Sudan, one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters where tens of thousands have died in fighting since April 2023.

Two US lawmakers said the UAE pledged to address their concerns and that, as a result, they would drop their attempt to block $1.2 billion in sales of advanced rockets and long-range missiles to the Gulf country.

Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of US President Joe Biden's Democratic Party, released a letter addressed to him from the White House that described UAE assurances on its relationship with Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is at war with the army.

"Despite reports we have received suggesting the contrary has occurred to date, the UAE has informed the administration that it is not now transferring any weapons to the RSF and will not do so going forward," said the letter signed by Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator on Middle East policy.

The UAE has long denied arming the RSF, with which it has fought Yemen's Huthi rebels.

The Gulf country's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the letter, McGurk promised to offer an assessment on the "credibility and reliability of these assurances" by January 17 -- three days before Biden hands the White House back to President-elect Donald Trump.

Van Hollen applauded the White House intervention and said he would again attempt to block arms sales if the UAE did not comply.

"The United States should use all of our leverage to help bring peace and stability to the people of Sudan," he said on the Senate floor.

- 'Credible' claims -

Fellow Democrat Sara Jacobs, who led a parallel effort in the House of Representatives, also vowed to "carefully monitor" adherence by the UAE.

"Without the UAE's support, the RSF will not have the same capabilities to wage this war -- making negotiation and a ceasefire a much likelier alternative," she said in a statement.

United Nations experts tasked with monitoring an arms embargo on the Darfur region said last year that accusations the UAE had funneled weapons to the RSF through Chad were "credible."

Trump has shown a greater willingness to sell weapons to the UAE, and in his last term promised advanced F-35 jets and armed drones as part of a deal in which the Gulf country recognized Israel.

The F-35 purchase languished after Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election and promised greater oversight of the weapons.

- 'Must not look away' -

The World Food Program warned Thursday that Sudan risks becoming the largest hunger crisis in recent history, with 1.7 million people across the country either facing famine or at risk of famine.

"The world cannot -- must not -- look away from the humanitarian catastrophe that is happening in Sudan on our watch, before our eyes," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

Without naming other countries, Blinken said that the Security Council "must make clear to the outside actors fanning the flames in Sudan that this conduct cannot continue."

He announced another $200 million in relief, saying that in some parts of Sudan, people are eating grass and peanut shells to survive.

Edem Wosornu, operations director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said $4.2 billion is needed to support Sudan next year.

"The volume of humanitarian aid reaching people in need remains a fraction of what is required," Wosornu told the council.

Nearly all of the vast Darfur region of western Sudan is now controlled by the RSF, which has also taken over swaths of the neighboring Kordofan region as well as much of the center of the country.

The regular army retains control of the north and east, while the capital Khartoum and its surrounding cities are a battleground between the warring parties.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AFRICA NEWS
Mali junta renames colonial French street names
Bamako (AFP) Dec 18, 2024
Mali followed fellow junta-ruled Burkina Faso and Niger on Wednesday in renaming streets and squares in its capital to get rid of their French colonial names. Streets bearing the names of members of France's colonial administration have been rebaptised in Bamako, according to a decree by the junta chief. Cedeao Avenue (the French acronym for the Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS) is also now named after a new strategic confederation that Mali has formed with Burkina Faso and Ni ... read more

AFRICA NEWS
Lockheed Martin demonstrates missile defense capability for Guam in key test

Northrop Grumman's next-gen missile warning satellites move to manufacturing

PAC-3 demonstrates advanced integration in successful defense test

Lockheed Martin prepares Next-Gen OPIR satellite for system testing

AFRICA NEWS
US strikes Huthi targets in Yemen, hours after rebels hit Israel

Houthi missile strikes Israel after countermeasures fail

Yemen rebels strike Israel's Tel Aviv in pre-dawn missile attack

Russia says Kursk strike kills 5 after Moscow claims deadly Kyiv attack

AFRICA NEWS
Skydweller Aero advances autonomous maritime patrol aircraft testing with military payloads

Sikorsky to showcase autonomous flight capabilities for marine corps

Israel army says intercepted drone from the east

FAA issues temporary drone bans in parts of New Jersey

AFRICA NEWS
Quadsat and NATO NCIA validate Quadsat system for WGS compliance testing

SpaceRISE to develop and operate Europe's IRIS2 connectivity network under new EU contract

ESA to support development of secure EU communications satellite constellation

IRIS2 contract signed to strengthen Europe's space connectivity and security

AFRICA NEWS
Software-driven smart munitions reshape tactical drone operations

UK and Australia to supply military equipment to Kyiv

US announces nearly $1 bn in new military aid for Ukraine

VA wants to expand healthcare coverage for more vets, particularly those exposed to blasts

AFRICA NEWS
US authorizes military sales of more than $5 billion to Egypt

US, European, Chinese firms seek to draw Vietnam arms deals from Russia

Key facts from the Pentagon's annual China military report

Corruption may hamper China military modernization: Pentagon

AFRICA NEWS
US Congress passes bill to avert shutdown

Macron stresses Djibouti base as France loses Africa footholds

Sri Lanka president to visit key lender China

China says wants 'comprehensive solution' to India border dispute

AFRICA NEWS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.