UAE Denies Claims of Sending Arms to Sudan Conflict

The United Arab Emirates rejected accusations Sunday that it had supplied weapons and ammunition to the warring factions in Sudan.

The Wall Street Journal published a story last week reporting that crates of arms and ammunition had been found on a cargo plane that left the UAE for Uganda in early June, instead of aid meant for Sudanese refugees as had been recorded on flight records.

“The UAE does not take sides in the current conflict engulfing Sudan and seeks an end to the conflict and calls for respecting Sudan’s sovereignty,” responded UAE Foreign Ministry official Afra Al-Hameli, according to the country’s official news agency WAM.

“Since the beginning of the conflict, the UAE has called for de-escalation, a cease-fire, and the initiation of diplomatic dialogue through bilateral and multilateral meetings alongside its partners,” she added.

Al-Hameli maintained that the UAE supports working towards security, stability, and peace in the region, and has not provided any arms to any faction in the Sudanese conflict since its outbreak last April.