Abuse of power & retaliationOversight & ethics enforcement
Amnesty International says Chinese-made weapons exported to the UAE were used by Sudan's RSF in breach of the UN arms embargo; the UAE calls the claims baseless.
Confidence: Confirmed · 3 sourcesUnited Arab Emirates · Oct 12, 2026
Subject of this story
Government of the United Arab Emirates
Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
Norinco (China North Industries Group)
Also named
Advocate
Amnesty International
What happened
In May 2025, Amnesty International said it identified a Chinese-made Norinco AH-4 155mm howitzer in video of weapons the Rapid Support Forces left behind when it retreated from Khartoum, and Norinco GB50A guided bombs in an RSF drone strike in North Darfur in March 2025. Amnesty cited SIPRI data that the UAE is the only country known to have imported the AH-4 from China, and said this indicated a breach of the UN Darfur arms embargo. UAE Assistant Minister Salem Aljaberi called the claims baseless and the report misleading, per Al Jazeera. Amnesty had received no reply from Norinco at publication.
Sources (3)
UN Panel of Experts on the Sudan (Final report, S/2025/239)Flight-tracking data documented cargo flights from the United Arab Emirates to Amdjarass in eastern Chad, from where weapons and ammunition -- ranging from small and light weapons to UCAVs, anti-aircraft missiles and mortars -- were transported by road into Darfur and handed over to RSF forces.
Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International identified a Chinese-manufactured Norinco AH-4 155mm howitzer used by the RSF in Darfur; the UAE is the only country known to have imported this weapon system from China, in violation of the UN arms embargo.
Al JazeeraThe UAE has denied repeated accusations that it is fuelling the conflict in Sudan by arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Response
Government of the United Arab Emirates
Statement given
Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.
Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
Not yet contacted
Not yet contacted for this story.
Norinco (China North Industries Group)
Not yet contacted
Not yet contacted for this story.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.