Airlift Between the UAE and Chad: Military Support to the RSF in Sudan Under Humanitarian Guise

The UAE's involvement in the intense conflict in Sudan, which began on April 15, 2023, between the army and the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces, has not waned.

A Dutch aviation website, Gerjon, specializing in air navigation, disclosed the existence of an airlift bridge between the UAE and Chad, with satellite imagery capturing a military site near the airport.

The site is believed to be the same field hospital that the UAE announced setting up in Chad to support Sudanese refugees fleeing the battles. This raised questions about the nature and objectives of the airlift bridge and its connection to the support of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces led by their leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), in their war against the army.

The UAE's use of Chad's Transitional Military Council led by Mahamat Deby to carry out logistical and military support for the Rapid Support Forces is a matter of concern.

 

Amdjarass

The UAE's interest in the city of Amdjarass in northern Chad, which was once an isolated desert oasis but now has a population of around 30,000, becomes evident.

Amdjarass, the fourth-largest city in the (northern) Sahara in Chad, boasts its private airport with a paved runway extending 3,000 meters.

The city also houses a military base that was visited by former Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby (assassinated in 2021) in 2015 as one of the centers for controlling and supporting his regime in the North of the country.

The significance of this location lies in its proximity to the Sudanese borders, near the Darfur region of Sudan and the city of al-Fashir, a stronghold and birthplace of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), the close UAE ally.

On July 16, 2023, the Arab intelligence platform Eekad reported the UAE intensifying its flights to the Chadian airport of Amdjarass. The platform revealed a total of 28 cargo flights between the UAE and Chad, with at least six Ilyushin Il-76 cargo planes departing from Abu Dhabi to Amdjarass between June 20 and June 30, 2023.

The platform attributed this airlift bridge to the UAE rulers' maneuvering to support the rebel militias (Rapid Support Forces in Sudan) and secure their military supplies. It is worth noting that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Chadian Transitional President, four-star General Mahamat Idriss Deby, also known as Mahamat Kaka, on June 14, 2023, to establish secretive agreements amid financial enticements for his government. Chad's government bulletin confirmed the signing of five agreements, including energy, geology, and areas related to "army, security, and counterterrorism."

 

UAE Maneuvering

At that time, the Eekad platform stated that the explanation for the recent airlift bridge from the UAE to Chad, supposedly for humanitarian support amid the deteriorating situation in neighboring Sudan, was questionable, especially since UAE's ambassador to Chad, Saeed al-Shamsi, inaugurated the UAE field hospital in Amdjarass on July 4, 2023, which was constructed by order of Mohamed bin Zayed to support Sudanese refugees.

The platform observed that this explanation was not likely for the recent suspicious flights to Amdjarass, considering the estimated population and existing Sudanese refugees. If the UAE genuinely intended to assist Sudanese refugees and mitigate their humanitarian tragedies, they would have headed to the more logical airport of Abeche.

The city of Abeche is located in the central east of Chad, about 330 kilometers southwest of Amdjarass. It has a much better location as it lies along the country's main routes, facilitating easy transportation of goods via roads. More importantly, the majority of Sudanese refugees are concentrated in Abeche.

According to the report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on June 11, 2023, Abeche hosts around 74,000 Sudanese displaced individuals from the conflicts.

It has a paved airport with a runway length of 2800 meters, capable of receiving any aircraft. Hence, it is the most sensible choice for receiving humanitarian aid from Amdjarass.

Thus, the UAE's aid and the intensified flights to Amdjarass lack a logical explanation unless they are driven by specific political purposes and strategic motives, according to observers.

Many question why the airlift bridge of 28 flights leads to a field hospital with only 50 beds, and why a field hospital is being established in such a remote area with a very minimal influx of refugees.

 

Supporting the Rebels

On July 17, 2023, the Emirates Leaks website reported that Abu Dhabi exploited its relationship with the Transitional Military Council in Chad, as Chad shares borders with Sudan, to smuggle weapons and military equipment to the Rapid Support Forces.

The UAE provided financial support to the Chadian regime and bought loyalty to prolong the conflict in Sudan and maintain chaos in the region.

The UAE got involved in supplying rebel militias in Sudan with drones, transported through Amdjarass airport in Chad, serving Abu Dhabi's plots to escalate internal fighting.

On June 13, 2023, the Rapid Support Forces used Emirati drones, but the Sudanese army managed to down two of them while targeting their armored forces.

On the same day, the Sudanese armed forces released a video revealing their successful operation in the armored forces' area in al-Shajara neighborhood.

A day later, on June 14, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya channel reported, citing military sources, that the drones targeted the headquarters of the armored forces in Khartoum and the hospital attached to the headquarters, resulting in casualties among doctors and patients.

On June 30, 2023, Sudanese politician Zain Salih Abdulrahman wrote in the local newspaper Sudanile that the UAE is insistent on supporting and fueling the war in Sudan and has made Chad a center for its operations.

One of the essential aspects of this support is transporting drones from Chad into Sudan, as the real advantage for the army lies in its air force, and the UAE aims to create a balance for its allies in the Rapid Support Forces.

According to the Middle East Eye, Abu Dhabi acquired these drones in 2015 through a contract worth 200 million dollars with the Serbian company Yugoimport SDPR and the Emirates Advanced Research and Technology Holding (EARTH).

Eekad platform also mentioned that pictures of the same drone were published in October 2021 when the Ethiopian army used it during the conflict in the Tigray region. The drone was also found in Yemen after the Houthi militia claimed to have downed it in 2021.

The platform confirmed that all the drones that appeared in Yemen, Ethiopia, and Sudan are identical.

The Emirati drone was modified by adding two tubes to enable it to carry shells and drop them in a manner similar to dumb bombs.

This technique requires the drone to fly at a low altitude, making it vulnerable to ground fire. Based on these facts, the Rapid Support Forces used Emirati drones to target Sudanese individuals; these drones transported through Amdjarass in Chad were equipped with ammunition labeled "Emirates." Similar drones have been observed in Yemen and Ethiopia before.