Biden to assess UAE claim that it isn’t backing Sudan militia
The Biden administration will provide an assessment to US lawmakers on January 17th on the credibility of UAE assurances that it isn’t and will not be funding the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in Sudan.
This is according to a letter from Biden’s Middle East and North Africa coordinator Brett McGurk seen by Reuters on December 19th.
The White House has faced pressure from Democrats to halt arms sales to the UAE until the US is assured it isn’t arming the RSF. Legislation was filed by senator Chris Van Hollen and representative Sara Jacobs last month to halt weapons sales.
READ: Evidence suggests UAE funding Sudan militia
“Despite reports we have received suggesting the contrary has occurred to date, the UAE has informed the Administration that it is not now transferring any weapons to the RSF and will not do so going forward,” McGurk wrote.
He wrote that the administration would “monitor for indicators of the credibility of these assurances provided by the UAE,” and that by January 17th, “I commit to providing you with the executive branch’s up-to-date assessment in that regard.”
Congressional review of major arms deals is required by US law. Votes on resolutions of disapproval that would block such sales can be forced by senators.
Though house members cannot trigger such votes, resolutions must pass both chambers of congress, and potentially survive a presidential veto, to go into effect.
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Sudan’s army has accused the UAE of arming the RSF in Sudan’s 18-month-old war. UAE denies the allegations, though UN sanctions monitors have described as credible accusations that the UAE had provided the RSF military support.
The UAE is also a major buyer of US weapons. This October the Biden administration announced that it had approved a potential sale of GMLRS and ATACMS munitions, and related support, for $1.2 billion.
The resolution by Van Hollen and Jacobs aimed to stop this sale. “Without the UAE’s support, the RSF will not have the same capabilities to wage this war – making negotiation and a ceasefire a much likelier alternative,” Jacobs said in a statement.
Van Hollen stted that he would monitor closely the assessment of the UAE’s compliance. “Should the UAE fail to live up to these assurances, we retain the right to refile our Joint Resolution of Disapproval to block the sale in the next Congress,” he said.
Reuters
