Britain is facing mounting pressure to suspend arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following reports that UK-made military equipment has been found in the hands of Sudanese militias accused of committing genocide in Darfur.
According to documents submitted by Sudan’s army to the United Nations Security Council, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia backed by the UAE have used British-made small-arms targeting systems and engines from UK manufacturers in attacks that have killed at least 2,000 civilians in El Fasher. Satellite images show mass killings and bodies in the streets.
Sudan’s ambassador to the UK, Babikir Elamin, said UAE support was “the single most important element in prolonging and enabling this genocide” and urged Britain to investigate how its weapons ended up with the RSF.
Between 2019 and 2025, the UK has reportedly exported over £1 billion worth of arms to the UAE, including radar and targeting equipment.
In Parliament, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper faced calls to suspend arms exports “until it is proven that the UAE is not arming the RSF.” She defended Britain’s “robust export controls” but did not commit to a suspension.
Rights groups, including the Campaign Against Arms Trade, accused the government of turning a blind eye to the risk of weapon diversion, while Liberal Democrat MP Monica Harding described the revelations as horrific, calling for an immediate suspension of sales.
The Foreign Office maintained that the UK’s export system is one of the most robust and transparent in the world.
Meanwhile, US lawmakers have proposed suspending arms sales to the UAE until it ends support for the RSF, amid fears that the Darfur conflict could drive millions of refugees toward Europe.
