Watan-The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is funding the mobilization of thousands of mercenaries to support the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan as part of its conspiracy to spread chaos, engage in conflicts, and pave the way for the looting of the country’s resources and capabilities.

For months, the United Nations has been monitoring the growing phenomenon of mercenaries, including foreign fighters, aligning with the Rapid Support Forces in their conflict with the Sudanese army. These mercenaries are reportedly coming from regions such as the Sahel, Mali, Niger, as mentioned in a report by the Emirati Leaks platform.

Emirati Funding for Mercenaries in Libya

In this context, Andreas Krieg, an assistant professor in the Department of Security Studies at King’s College London, stated that Chadians have indeed joined the Rapid Support Forces in recent years for the sake of salaries.

He added that areas under the control of the retired general Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya serve as a hub for delivering weapons to the Rapid Support Forces.

Krieg pointed out that the UAE sent tons of weapons to General Khalifa Haftar in 2019 and 2021, which could now be provided to the Rapid Support Forces without being traced.

He noted that the UAE provided the leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemeti,” who accumulated wealth from gold smuggling, with a platform to direct his financial investments. Additionally, the UAE harnessed its networks to establish an influence and public relations center for the benefit of the Rapid Support Forces.

He pointed out that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sent tons of weapons to General Khalifa Haftar in 2019 and 2021, which can now be provided to the Rapid Support Forces without being traced.

He noted that the UAE provided a platform for the leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemeti,” who amassed wealth from gold smuggling, to direct his financial investments. Additionally, the UAE harnessed its networks to establish an influence and public relations center for the benefit of the Rapid Support Forces.

This is not the first time that the UAE has engaged in such practices. In 2020, investigations led by the Inspector General for Counterterrorism Operations at the U.S. Department of Defense revealed that the UAE was funding mercenaries of the Russian Wagner Group in Libya.

The American magazine Foreign Policy published a report at that time, prepared by Jack Detsch and Robbie Gramer, confirming that Abu Dhabi was assisting in financing the Russian Wagner Group. The writers relied on a report from the Inspector General for Counterterrorism Operations.

With more than eight months passing since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan, observers are increasingly concerned about the danger of the influence of mercenaries flowing in from Chad, Mali, and Niger to fight alongside Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, an ally of Abu Dhabi.

It appears that the UAE has not only satisfied itself with extensive military support for its ally Dagalo but has expanded its support by recruiting foreign mercenaries into the ranks of the Rapid Support Forces.

Intense Mobilization of Mercenaries

It has previously been revealed by informed sources that the instructions of the Emirati President, Mohammed bin Zayed, to respond to statements by the Sudanese army’s deputy commander, Yasser al-Atta – in which he accused the UAE of supporting Hemeti – were swiftly translated into the influx of thousands of mercenaries from Chad, Mali, and Central Africa. These mercenaries are being deployed to support the militias of the Rapid Support Forces, the same groups that supported Khalifa Haftar in Libya.