Sudan has escalated regional tensions by accusing Kenya of facilitating covert weapons transfers from the UAE to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a key player in Sudan’s brutal civil war. The revelation, backed by evidence of Kenyan-marked weapons found in RSF stockpiles, intensifies suspicions of foreign interference in a conflict that has already displaced 13 million people and claimed tens of thousands of lives.
By Jarryd Sinovich
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry’s strongly worded statement calls Kenya a “main conduit” for Emirati arms allegedly intended to destabilize Sudan and secure control over vital natural resources and Red Sea access. Kenya’s perceived support for RSF political activities — including hosting a rival government charter signing — and a now-deleted social media admission by a Kenyan official have only heightened the diplomatic fallout.
Sudan severed ties with the UAE in March 2025 and has since banned Kenyan imports, signalling a deepening geopolitical realignment. Khartoum is now drawing closer to Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Russia, while the UN warns that external arms flows are “fuelling the fire.”
As the civil war enters its third year, these accusations mark a turning point — not just for Sudan, but for the entire Horn of Africa region, which now stands at the precipice of a broader proxy conflict.
