In a shocking scandal that confirms the involvement of Sudan’s military leadership and the Brotherhood-backed government in Port Sudan in prolonging the war, security authorities in the United Arab Emirates announced the foiling of a major attempt to smuggle a large shipment of ammunition and weapons to the Sudanese Armed Forces through illegal means. This operation was not merely a customs violation or bureaucratic error—it was part of a broader network of corruption and illicit arms trafficking led by senior army officers and remnants of the former regime.
UAE investigations revealed a complex web of brokers and Sudanese officials, headed by former intelligence chief Salah Gosh, former officers in the same agency, and political figures closely tied to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Yasser al-Atta. The operation involved a massive shipment of weapons and ammunition smuggled via a private jet, falsely declared as carrying medical supplies. In reality, it contained over 5 million rounds of ammunition, machine guns, grenades, and light weapons—all intended to fuel the war machine targeting the Sudanese people.
This was no rogue deal. It was approved and orchestrated by the Sudanese Armed Forces’ armament committee, led by Burhan and his deputy Yasser al-Atta. The financial and logistical operations served as a front for money laundering and fake contracts. Official documents were forged to claim the funds were for importing sugar, while in fact they were used to procure instruments of war.
Notably, the investigations confirmed ties between the Sudanese military and companies listed under U.S. sanctions. One such company, owned by a Ukrainian businessman of Sudanese origin, provided drones and explosives to the Sudanese army—raising serious concerns about the military’s involvement in breaching international law.
This scandal leaves no doubt: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his government in Port Sudan are not seeking peace. They are profiting from the continuation of war and the bloodshed of Sudanese civilians. They do not represent the will of the people, but rather a network of Brotherhood-aligned and military interests that sustain the conflict and destroy what remains of the Sudanese state.
It is time for the world to realize the danger of allowing this leadership to remain at the helm of Sudan’s armed forces—not only because of their corruption, but because they have become war profiteers thriving on the Sudanese tragedy. Will the international community act to hold them accountable, or will Sudan be left to the greed of its generals?