Thirteen individuals have been referred to the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal over a multimillion-dollar scheme to illegally procure military equipment for Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) through UAE-based companies and financial channels.
UAE authorities said on Thursday the case involved falsified documents, front companies and attempted covert arms shipments linked to Sudan’s civil war. The operation was carried out through two main interrelated transactions, according to Wam news agency.
Authorities said the case involves a mix of businessmen and Sudanese security-linked figures accused of playing different roles in facilitating, connecting and brokering the alleged transactions. They say several of the accused are linked to the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood. At least two are listed under US sanctions.
Salah Abdallah Mohammed Salah
Salah Abdallah Mohammed Salah, known as Salah Gosh, is alleged to have played roles in direction and co-ordination. He is a former Sudanese intelligence chief and one of the most influential security figures in Sudan’s modern political history.
He served for years as the powerful head of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service under long-time ruler Omar Al Bashir. Although no longer formally in office, he retains influence through a network linked to the former Bashir regime and Islamist factions aligned with the SAF.
In 2023, he was targeted by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for his role in "undermining the peace, security and stability of Sudan".
According to the Treasury Department, Gosh had publicly advocated for the SAF to overthrow Sudan’s civilian government, saying that he was prepared to provide thousands of trained extremist fighters to support the effort. European measures have also been reported against him.
Yasser Al Atta
Yasser Al Atta was also accused of being central to the weapon smuggling scheme. He is the Chief of Staff of the Sudanese Armed Forces. He was appointed to this role in April by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, succeeding Gen Othman Al Hussein. He previously served as a deputy to Gen Al Burhan in his ruling Transitional Sovereignty Council.
A lieutenant general with more than four decades of military service, Gen Al Atta rose to prominence after the 2019 ousting of Al Bashir, when he became a member of the Transitional Military Council and later the Transitional Sovereign Council.
During the continuing war between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), he has been a key battlefield commander and political voice, known for hardline positions.
His appointment as Chief of Staff has been seen as reflecting a tightening influence of Islamist-leaning factions within the army. Gen Al Atta is widely viewed as sympathetic to elements linked to Bashir-era Islamists and has been associated with support for fighters from former Islamist militias who have joined the army in its war against the RSF.
He has been named in UN investigations and assessments for his central role in the army’s war effort.
Ahmed Rabie Sayed Ahmed Mohammed
He is a political figure close to Gen Al Burhan and is responsible for issuing end-user certificates and approvals used in the transactions. He is also suspected of acting as a principal arms dealer in the case.
Abdullah Khalafallah
He is a businessman with Sudanese and Ukrainian nationalities, who owns companies operating across multiple countries and sectors, including, according to investigators, the arms trade.
He was a former contender for the post of Sudan’s prime minister and is believed to have close ties to figures within the country’s Transitional Sovereign Council.
Authorities say he has been involved in hawala networks and money-laundering activities and note that he is listed under US sanctions.
Investigators say he played a direct role in executing the first weapons deal, including arranging supplies and collecting payments inside the country.
Rashed Omar Abdul Qader Ali
He is a Sudanese businessman involved in the trade of food commodities and cotton, with business interests in both Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
According to investigators, he aligned himself with the SAF following the outbreak of the conflict in a bid to secure financial gains. Authorities say he subsequently obtained contracts to supply weapons and military equipment to the Sudanese army.
Facilitating bloody war
The remaining eight suspects include military figures, businessmen, advisers and former intelligence officers, all of whom are alleged to have ties to the Sudanese army. Six companies are also implicated in the case.
The case was first disclosed in April 2025, when UAE authorities said they had thwarted a plot to smuggle weapons and military equipment to the SAF. The plot involved a private plane and five million rounds of machinegun ammunition.
The three-year war between the Sudanese army and the RSF has created what aid groups say is now the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The two sides have been accused by the UN of war crimes. Despite repeated diplomatic efforts, fighting continues with no end in sight.
