PREVIEW
Gulf State monarchies escalate their proxy war in Sudan with weapons and petro-dollars
Saudi Arabia is set to cash in on the fury of the Sudan Armed Forces regime in Khartoum at the United Arab Emirates, which is seen by UN experts and serial independent investigations as the main supporter of the Rapid Support Forces militia. The privately owned Saudi Gold Refinery Company has confirmed that it wants to buy gold from Sudan (AC Vol 67 No 1, Undoing what remains of the nation).
That could hit the finances of the RSF, which control swathes of Sudan, particularly the western regions. Gold sales, official and otherwise, to the UAE, have been matched with a steady supply of weapons for the RSF.
According to official figures, Sudan shipped US$1.97 billion of gold to the UAE in 2024 but the formal trade is shrinking and is now dominated by the RSF, many of whose senior officers and financiers are under international sanctions. The Sudanese government officially cut ties with the UAE last June but gold exports have continued, taking advantage of record prices that exceeded US $5,000 an ounce in January.
Saudi Arabia wants to ensure that its geopolitical rivals, including the UAE, do not gain access to the Red Sea. That means backing General Abdel Fattah al Burhan and the SAF, which currently controls Port Sudan and has re-established itself in the capital Khartoum (AC Vol 66 No 19, Khartoum rebuffs US-Arab peace roadmap).
Though Riyadh’s support for Burhan has been modest in comparison to the UAE’s relationships with RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti, it has promised to help finance the rebuilding of Khartoum. Ministers in the SAF regime say they will prioritise Saudi Arabian companies in reconstruction projects, including those at Red Sea ports.
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