Darfur Union in the UK: UAE's Faustian Bargain in Sudan: Arms for Influence, Genocide by RSF for Da

05:50 PM December, 10 2023

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UAE's Faustian Bargain in Sudan: Arms for Influence, Genocide by RSF for Darfur

A *Memo* by DARFUR Union in the UK

Algony Dagalo is under the spotlight for his direct involvement in smuggling gold and laundering money for the RSF to continue its genocidal campaign in Darfur
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has continued to breach international law by weaponising the RSF, and its imported artilleries have been used by this terrorist organisation to commit war crimes in Darfur.
A few of the RSF's financial arms are operating under the radar and are not yet sanctioned.
The international community must take concrete actions to stop the atrocities against civilians in Sudan.
The linking of increased aid to complete security on the ground in Darfur is a direct punishment of the Sudanese people. Countries should work with local organisations and existing delivery routes.
RSF apologists and allies are spreading lies and changing the narrative in an attempt to whitewash the war crimes in Darfur and the serious human rights violations committed by the RSF.

Introduction
The DARFUR Union in the UK is deeply concerned about the financial operations of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan and the use of gold stolen from Darfur mining areas to purchase weapons and armoured vehicles from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These weapons and armoured vehicles are then used to commit war crimes in Darfur.

It is important to emphasise that theState Department's Molly Phee commended Congressional pressure on the UAE regarding its alleged support for the RSF in Sudan, stating that the publicity and call for action would be beneficial in addressing Sudan's ongoing conflict (ref. *). Despite the clear connection between the Darfur Gate arms supply and the subsequent war crimes committed by the Rapid Support System, the international community failed to take effective measures to address this issue.

RSF Financial Operations
The RSF is responsible for massacring, raping, and displacing millions of Sudanese in Darfur over the last few months. The RSF has established a network of companies and conglomerates that are involved in gold mining, trading, and smuggling, both inside and outside Sudan.
The RSF's financial operations are opaque and complex. However, it is clear that the group has access to significant financial resources and wealth amassed from the gold mining operations in Darfur and other parts of Sudan. The organisation is free to operate its mining activities across this area with full authorisation, complete lack of accountability, and no payment of any fees or compensation to the state. The amassed gold is exported directly from the gold mines under the jurisdiction of the RSF to the UAE through the small port in Jabel Aamir or via land to the Central African Republic (CAR) by the Wagner group, which operates across this belt of Africa. These resources are exchanged for weapons, armoured vehicles, other equipment, and training. The RSF also uses its financial resources to bribe officials and to buy influence in this region and within neighbouring countries.

Sanctioned Companies
Several companies have been sanctioned by the United States, United Kingdom, and the EU for their involvement in the RSF's financial operations (ref. 1). These companies include:
Al Junaid Multi Activities Co Ltd - a large RSF-owned conglomerate set up by RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ‘Hemedti’. This company has provided at least tens of millions in financial backing for the militia, enabling it to continue the conflict.
Tradive General Trading L.L.C. - a company associated with the RSF, supplying it with funds and materiel such as vehicles retrofitted with machine guns for the RSF to patrol the streets.
GSK Advance Company Ltd, a key front company owned by the RSF, providing some funding to the militia to support the purchase of materiel. Both this company and the Russian Aviatrade LLC, which is also under sanctions, provide drones to the RSF for military use.

A few companies belonging to the SAF were also sanctioned (ref. 1).

Another company that is operating but not yet under the radar of Sanctions is Al-Diraib General Trading, headed by CEO Omer Hassan Mohammed, a Sudanese businessman with close ties to Algony Hamdan Dagalo. Ahmed has been involved in several controversial deals, including facilitating sales and imports of arms to the RSF.

UAE and War Crimes in Darfur and Serious Human Rights Violations in Sudan
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been weaponising the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and fuelling the war in Sudan, in particular the atrocities in Darfur. The WSJ reported in their investigative piece on 10th August 2023 that the UAE has been providing the RSF with weapons, training, and logistical support, in violation of the arms embargo imposed on Sudan by the UN Security Council. Furthermore, the article mentioned a despicable practice of using humanitarian aid as a cover to send weapons to the notorious RSF militia in Sudan (Ref. 2) to fuel the war in the country, with Darfur being the focal point for using part of the artillery and at the receiving end of those new weapons.

The UAE's support for the RSF is part of a broader strategy to increase its influence in Sudan. The UAE has been competing with other regional powers for influence in Sudan, and it sees the RSF as a way to counter those powers' support for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which shows that Sudan has become the playground for foreign powers to settle scores.

The UAE's weaponisation of the RSF is a clear violation of international law (ref. 3), and their name should be associated with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the genocidal campaign carried out by the RSF and the Janjaweed in Darfur.

Algony Dagalo
Algony Dagalo is the chief financial officer of the RSF. He is also the group's lead liaison person for dealing with the UAE. Dagalo is accused of being involved in the smuggling of gold and other goods. He is also accused of using his position to enrich himself and his family.

As of 16th November 2023, there was a strong suggestion in the media that the US Treasury Department would designate Algony Dagalo as a Specially Designated Global Magnitsky Act (SDGM) person. The SDGM designation prohibits US persons from engaging in transactions with Algony Dagalo and freezes any assets he holds in the United States.

As mentioned by the Africa Intelligence report on 17th November 2023 (ref. 4), according to European sources, Algony Dagalo travelled to Rome in October for a series of meetings. The Italian government is closely monitoring the situation in eastern Libya, which borders North Darfur, the Sudanese region controlled by the Dagalo clan. Multiple intelligence agencies believe that the RSF is using this route to acquire weapons from the Gulf. Algony's influence within the organisation has increased significantly since the imposition of US sanctions on his brother Abdelrahim Dagalo, and his actions are now being closely scrutinised for the first time.

DARFUR Union in the UK calls for the full implementation of all sanctions against Algony Dagalo. We also call for the international community to investigate his direct role in the RSF's illicit financial operations that finance the ongoing war crimes committed by the RSF against the civilians in Darfur.

The Use of Gold Stolen from Darfur
The RSF has been accused of using gold stolen from Darfur mining areas to purchase weapons and armoured vehicles from the UAE. This gold is then smuggled out of Darfur and sold to UAE-based companies. The proceeds from the sale of the gold are then used to purchase weapons and armoured vehicles, which are then shipped back to Darfur.
The Use of Armoured Vehicles and Weapons
The RSF's armoured vehicles and weapons are used to commit war crimes in Darfur. These crimes include mass killings, rape, and torture. The use of these weapons has also led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Evidence of the Use of Armoured Vehicles and Weapons
There is clear evidence of the use of RSF armoured vehicles and weapons in Darfur. This evidence includes:
Eyewitness accounts
Photographs and videos
Satellite imagery

It is important to emphasise that the RSF has used gold stolen from Darfur mining areas in exchange for armoured vehicles and weapons shipped from the UAE via direct airplane cargo to Um Jarris airport in Chad, and from there to Darfur. The vehicles include the Emirati-made Nimr MCAV-20 Calidus and Terrier LT-79 models. The weapons include small arms, ammunition, and grenade launchers.
Evidence of the use of these imported armoured vehicles and weapons by the RSF and its militias in Darfur has been documented on several occasions, including in Nyala, South Darfur and in Mistri and Mornei, West Darfur. In Nyala, the RSF used armoured vehicles and the imported weapons to attack the civilians and to commit mass killings and also to loot and then destroy the city market; in addition to causing one of the largest forced displacements in the region as hundreds of thousands fled the city to its outskirts as well as to other cities in Darfur, namely to al-Fashir (ref. 5). In Mistri (ref. 6) and Murnei (ref. 7), the RSF and its militias used armoured vehicles and weapons to launch a series of attacks on villages inhabited by the Masalit ethnic group, killing thousands of civilians, burning houses, and looting properties. They also used mass graves to “clean” the areas afterwards (ref. 8).

The situation between the warring parties is clear to all observers: the Rapid Support Forces are being urged to evacuate Khartoum and assume full control of Darfur. This would involve the Rapid Support Forces taking over the areas they have declared under their control in Darfur, if those claims are true. This handover would entail granting the Janjaweed and Rapid Support Forces the green light to seize control of the supply and logistics sector by looting markets and citizens' property without facing significant resistance, as recently occurred in El Geneina and Nyala. Civilians in these areas are bearing the brunt of this flawed handover process. Moreover, this operation has resulted in the capture and abuse of non-commissioned officers and civilians. One such instance occurred during the second wave of the invasion of El Geneina, when there was a mass killing of the remaining citizens, as reported by Reuters eyewitness and army soldier Ibrahim Youssef (ref. 9).

The Need for Action
The DARFUR Union in the UK calls on the international community to take action to stop the RSF's financial operations. This action should include:
Sanctioning more RSF officials and companies
Freezing the assets of RSF officials and companies
Imposing an arms embargo on Sudan
The international community must also take action to bring the perpetrators of war crimes in Darfur to justice. This action should include:

Imposing targeted sanctions on individuals and entities involved in committing crimes in Darfur.
Holding the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accountable for the crimes against humanity and war crimes they have committed against the people of Darfur, including Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo (recently sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury (ref. 10)), Algony Hamdan Dagalo, and Abdelrahman Juma Barak Allah (also recently sanctioned by the US Treasury (ref. 10)). Barak Allah publicly called on 4th November 2023 for the RSF to attack al-Fashir, al-Obeid and Port Sudan, a hostile move that could result in mass killings, a crime which he committed under his command in Elgeneina. It is also important to support the ICC on the ongoing cases (Abdelrahman Kushayb, ref. 11) and to bring to justice those ICC indictees who are still at large (Omar al-Bashir (ref. 12), Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein (ref. 13) and Ahmed Haroun (ref. 14)).
Supporting the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators of crimes in Darfur.
Providing a mandate and the support needed to the Joint Forces, which are made up of signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement, to expand their areas of operation and protect civilians.
Putting pressure on the fighting groups in Darfur and Sudan to stop shelling civilian areas, stop the war, and for the RSF to withdraw from civilian areas in West Darfur.
Increasing humanitarian assistance to Darfur, Sudan and East Chad through the Port Sudan and Douala port, Cameroon. The situation in East Chad is dire to say the least. The lack of food, medical supplies and outbreak of malaria and other infectious diseases are pushing the situation towards a disaster if immediate actions are not taken.

Conclusion
The RSF's financial operations are a key source of funding for the group's war crimes in Darfur. The international community must take action to stop these financial operations and to bring the perpetrators of war crimes in Darfur to justice.

The war in Sudan is a proxy war between the UAE and other regional powers, and the people of Sudan are paying the price. The RSF is committing atrocities with impunity, and the rule of law is being undermined. The Darfur Union in the UK will work with the ICC, HRW, and other sister organisations to make sure there is no impunity for the perpetrators and their regional allies. We will also work to expose the political cover given by some political parties/groups in Sudan to the RSF, expose their activities of whitewashing RSF war crimes, similar to what happened in Lomé, Togo (ref. 15), Brussels and most recently in Addis Ababa. The atrocities committed by the RSF in Darfur will not be forgotten and accountability will never stop at the RSF leadership. Work will be ongoing to include those who support their genocidal campaign; particularly the financial and weaponising backers.
The massacre of Erdemta, West Darfur is yet another reminder that the RSF is a terrorist organisation (ref. 16) and the fact that its political allies from Sudanese political powers failed even to mention it means that they are co-signing their act and wanting to be in power at all costs. The stolen gold money of Darfur is being used by the RSF to organise conferences under the name of bringing democracy to Sudan and whitewashing RSF crimes in Sudan in general and in Darfur in particular. Those politicians are morally bankrupt and are bribed by the very money of the massacred people of Sudan in Darfur.

Darfur Union in the UK

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