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The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has raised alarm over reports that the United Arab Emirates may be supporting Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through activities in Ethiopia and Somaliland.
Senator Jim Risch said he is deeply concerned by claims that a training center connected to the UAE has been set up in Ethiopia to assist the RSF. He also pointed to reports suggesting that weapons and other supplies could be passing through the port of Berbera in Somaliland before reaching Sudan.
In a post shared on X, Risch described the RSF as a violent group accused of serious crimes and warned that any external support would only worsen the situation. He said such actions could increase tensions in the Horn of Africa and further destabilize an already fragile region.
According to Risch, if these reports are confirmed, they could strengthen the case for officially designating the RSF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under U.S. law. Such a designation would carry serious consequences, including criminal penalties for those who provide material support and tighter financial restrictions targeting the group and its backers.
The RSF is a powerful paramilitary force currently engaged in a brutal conflict with Sudan’s national army. The fighting, which began in 2023, has devastated large parts of the country and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Millions of people have been displaced, and many are facing hunger and insecurity.
Human rights organizations and several governments have accused the RSF of committing grave abuses, particularly in the Darfur region. These allegations include mass killings, forced displacement, and acts described by some observers as genocide. The RSF leadership has denied wrongdoing, but international pressure on the group continues to grow.
So far, there has been no official response from the governments of Somaliland, Ethiopia, or the United Arab Emirates regarding Senator Risch’s recent remarks.
The UAE has previously been accused of supplying weapons and military equipment to the RSF. Earlier reports claimed that shipments may have moved through Bosaso port in Somalia’s Puntland region. The UAE has repeatedly denied providing military support to the RSF and has rejected accusations of fueling the conflict.
In November 2025, Somalia’s Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi acknowledged before the country’s Upper House that aircraft had flown from Bosaso to Sudan. His statement marked the first official confirmation from the Somali federal government that such flights had taken place. However, Fiqi said authorities did not know what the planes were carrying or who was responsible for operating them.
Relations between Somalia and the UAE have been strained in recent years. The Somali government previously canceled certain security and port agreements with Abu Dhabi, leading to a pause in formal security cooperation between the two countries. These tensions have added another layer of complexity to the regional situation.
The latest allegations come at a time when Sudan’s war is drawing increasing international attention. Regional and global powers are being closely watched for any involvement that could influence the course of the conflict. Diplomats and analysts have warned that outside support for either side risks prolonging the war and deepening instability across neighboring countries.
As fighting continues in Sudan, concerns are growing that the conflict could spill across borders, affecting trade routes, security partnerships, and fragile political balances in the Horn of Africa. Calls for accountability and restraint are becoming louder, particularly from U.S. lawmakers who say foreign backing for armed groups must be addressed.
Whether these recent claims will lead to further investigations or policy action remains to be seen, but the issue has clearly moved higher on Washington’s radar as Sudan’s crisis continues to unfold.