US senators urge Rubio to stop arms sales to UAE over Sudan war

WASHINGRON, Aug. 06 (YPA) –  A group of 21 US senators, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen, have urged President Donald Trump’s administration to suspend certain weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates over Abu Dhabi’s reported military backing for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.

In a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the lawmakers warned that the RSF appeared to be preparing an offensive against El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, placing an estimated 500,000 civilians at risk.

The senators said the situation could mirror the mass violence witnessed after the RSF captured El Fasher last October.

“While we welcome the State Department’s expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough,” the senators wrote. “The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end.”

The letter called on the Trump administration to move beyond public statements and impose tangible consequences on foreign governments accused of sustaining Sudan’s war.

According to the letter, Abu Dhabi has allegedly provided the RSF with military, financial, and technical assistance. The senators cited multiple investigations linking the UAE to arms supply networks, including reports that Colombian mercenaries were trained at UAE facilities before deploying to Sudan, as well as investigations into financial assets connected to RSF leadership.

They called on the State Department to brief Congress on measures to prevent further atrocities in Sudan and help bring the conflict to an end, warning that the situation in El Obeid represents a critical alarm requiring urgent action to avert another humanitarian catastrophe.

@E.Y.M