The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) used foreign-supplied drones in operations that harmed civilians, a UN fact-finding report has revealed.
While it repeated accusations that external players have supported the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces by facilitating weapons transfers, the report has cast a harsher light on the actions of the SAF, which has rejected ceasefire attempts and has vowed to continue the war until it achieves victory.
The SAF has long accused the RSF of receiving external support; however, the new findings provide proof that Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan's forces have themselves relied heavily on foreign support to launch the deadly attacks on civilian areas.
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, established by the UN Human Rights Council, said that "available evidence indicates that, since late 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces has significantly expanded its drone capabilities through foreign-supplied systems".
The findings documented attacks attributed to the SAF on locations where "civilian presence was substantial or readily foreseeable", citing at least four waves of drone strikes on hospitals, markets and other civilian locations in different areas.
It found "reasonable grounds to believe that the Sudanese Armed Forces used foreign-supplied drones and loitering munitions in attacks that struck civilian objects, including Yabus Market in Blue Nile, and may amount to a serious violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime".
The report was released days after the US-based Century Foundation think tank said in an investigative report that Houthi rebels' ties with the SAF have led to arms-smuggling networks expanding the Yemeni rebels' influence in the Horn of Africa.
It also comes after the US said it was concerned about a reported SAF strike inside Chad, warning that the war in Sudan could spread across borders and further destabilise the region.
The war between the SAF and the RSF erupted over the country's future after the overthrow of a civilian government. It has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions, and created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with an estimated 20 million people suffering from hunger.
Repeated attempts by the US and regional powers to broker a ceasefire in Sudan have failed, with Gen Al Burhan insisting on fighting until the RSF surrenders or is vanquished.
Both parties are accused of committing crimes. In July, the US imposed new sanctions on the SAF-aligned government over its use of chemical weapons in the war.
The UAE, a key member of the Quad group, has called for a return to civilian rule in Sudan and made it clear that neither of the two warring parties should have a role in the country’s future.
On Thursday, its Permanent Mission to the UN and Other International Organisations in Geneva said that it has engaged with the fact-finding mission in a "transparent and substantive manner".
The UAE reiterated that "it is not involved in the civil war in Sudan, nor has it provided arms or any related materiel to any party in Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict". It reaffirmed its "strongest condemnation of the violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces".
The UAE also reiterated its commitment to "complying with its obligations under the sanctions regime established by the UN Security Council, including all sanctions measures on designated individuals and entities".
It reaffirmed the importance of extending the arms embargo to the whole territory of Sudan, and of the cessation of all forms of external military support to the warring parties, without exception, while stressing that "allegations must be assessed carefully and grounded in an objective, impartial and evidence-based methodology".
The UN report said the UAE engaged with its fact-finding mission in February and June, stating that it investigated allegations relating to entities under its jurisdiction and found no evidence linking such entities to mercenary activities or individuals reportedly deployed in Sudan.
"The mission takes note of these submissions and welcomes the United Arab Emirates' stated commitment to compliance with international law, regulation of private actors and accountability for unlawful conduct," the report said. "It also acknowledges the humanitarian assistance provided by the United Arab Emirates."
