Madar (Abu Dhabi) - A court in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, October 29, 2026, sentenced eight people to life imprisonment for arms trafficking and money laundering after convicting them of supplying weapons and military equipment to Sudan's army, the Emirati state news agency WAM said, as reported by Al Jazeera English and Reuters.
WAM said the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal concluded that the convicted individuals had taken part in an integrated scheme for the illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and military equipment, and were part of a money-laundering network connecting the two countries.
They were also found to have forged documents and used companies and bank accounts in the UAE to channel funds linked to the arms deals and "conceal" their sources and destinations. The court ordered the confiscation of ammunition and communications devices and the deportation of those convicted after serving their sentences, saying the deals had "endangered UAE interests". The names and nationalities of the convicted were not disclosed.
The verdict comes amid strained ties between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi, with Sudan's military accusing the UAE of arming its rival in the civil war, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which the UAE denies. The war, under way since April 2023, has displaced more than 14 million people, the report said.
