UAE court sentences eight people to life over arms supplies to Sudan's army

A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced eight people to life imprisonment over an arms trafficking and money-laundering network linked to supplies for Sudan's army. The ruling was issued by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal, according to state media, and concerns an integrated scheme involving weapons, ammunition and military equipment. The case comes as tensions remain high between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum over Sudan's war.

State media said the convicted individuals were found to have supplied weapons and military equipment to the Sudanese army. The court also said they had forged documents and used companies and bank accounts in the UAE to move funds connected to the arms deals and conceal their source and destination. The court ordered the confiscation of ammunition and communications devices used in the crimes, and said those convicted would be deported after serving their sentences.

The ruling adds a legal dimension to already strained relations between the two countries. Sudan's military has accused the UAE of supplying arms to its rival, the Rapid Support Forces, in the civil war that began in April 2023, an allegation the UAE has denied. The latest case instead centres on a network that the court said endangered UAE interests through illicit trafficking and money laundering.

The war in Sudan has had severe humanitarian consequences, with more than 14 million people displaced and widespread food shortages and poverty. Fighting has also continued to produce deadly attacks in Darfur and elsewhere, deepening international concern over the conflict. The court case therefore sits within a wider regional dispute over external support, accountability and the flow of weapons into the war.

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The Abu Dhabi ruling also highlights the role of financial channels and corporate structures in cross-border arms cases. According to the state report, companies and bank accounts in the UAE were used to process and disguise the proceeds of the alleged offences. That makes the case relevant not only to Sudan's conflict but also to efforts to police sanctions, illicit finance and weapons trafficking in the Gulf.

It is not clear from the available information whether the defendants will appeal or whether further arrests are expected. The court has already ordered confiscations and deportation after sentence, but the wider investigation has not been fully detailed. What remains to be seen is whether the case leads to additional prosecutions or affects the already fragile political relationship between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum.

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