Proxy war in Sudan: Army and RSF fuelled by foreign powers

Sudan’s pro-army government has called on the international community to take urgent and concrete action against the United Arab Emirates, which it accuses of supplying weapons and fighters to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group locked in a devastating civil war with the national army since April 2023.

Speaking at the United Nations on Tuesday, Hassan Hamid, Sudan’s ambassador to the UN, said:

“The supplier of weapons is well known. It is the United Arab Emirates. Sudan calls on the international community to act without delay with a firm and concrete decision.”

However, the ongoing conflict has drawn in various foreign actors on both sides, further escalating the violence.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, control the north, east, and central regions of Sudan. The RSF, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), controls parts of the west and south — including most of Darfur — with backing from regional allies and armed groups.

Early in the war, Sudan’s military repeatedly accused the UAE of sending arms and foreign fighters to the RSF, allegedly routed through Chad, Libya, Kenya, and Somalia, by both land and air. Abu Dhabi has consistently denied any involvement in the conflict.

But observers note that the Sudanese army itself is not isolated from foreign support, receiving logistical, diplomatic, and possibly military backing from other governments concerned with the RSF’s growing influence. Several countries with stakes in the Red Sea region and the Horn of Africa are believed to be involved to various degrees, although few acknowledge it openly.

The call for international intervention comes just days after the RSF captured El-Fasher, the last major city in the Darfur region not under their control. The takeover followed 18 months of siege, and has raised alarms over mass civilian casualties, looting, and targeted violence.

Humanitarian agencies and UN observers have reported increasingly dire conditions for civilians in RSF-controlled areas, while both the RSF and SAF face credible accusations of war crimes, including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and ethnic targeting.

Despite international appeals, no ceasefire has held for long. Repeated peace talks have stalled, and foreign involvement on both sides continues to complicate efforts to reach a political resolution.

As Sudan’s conflict approaches its second year, the humanitarian toll is staggering: millions displaced, cities destroyed, and a deepening famine threatens the most vulnerable populations.

Sudan’s pro-army government now seeks more aggressive diplomatic pressure on backers of the RSF. But in a region marked by proxy rivalries and competing alliances, calls for neutrality and peace are being drowned out by realpolitik.