The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal ordered the seizure of all equipment used in the operation and mandated that the convicts be deported after completing their prison terms. The rulings unfold against the backdrop of a brutal civil war that has displaced over 14 million people and caused catastrophic food shortages across Sudan. Ongoing clashes continue to devastate civilians, recently punctuated by deadly drone strikes on a market and residential area in Darfur.
Key points
Eight individuals received life sentences after using UAE bank accounts to launder funds…: Eight individuals received life sentences after using UAE bank accounts to launder funds and traffic weapons to Sudan.
Khartoum and Abu Dhabi remain diplomatically strained over accusations that the UAE suppl…: Khartoum and Abu Dhabi remain diplomatically strained over accusations that the UAE supplies the Rapid Support Forces, which the UAE denies.
The United Nations has previously accused the Rapid Support Forces of committing war crim…: The United Nations has previously accused the Rapid Support Forces of committing war crimes during fighting in Darfur.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Defendants handed life sentences amid tensions between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi over Sudan’s war and the RSF.
A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced eight people to life imprisonment over arms trafficking and money laundering to Sudan’s army, state media report.
The individuals supplied weapons and military equipment to the Sudanese army and were part of a money-laundering network connecting the two countries, the Emirati state-run news agency WAM said on Thursday.
It said the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal concluded on Thursday that the convicted individuals had participated in an integrated scheme for the illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and military equipment.
The accused were also found to have forged documents using companies and bank accounts in the UAE to channel funds relating to the arms deals and “conceal” their sources and destinations.
The court ordered the confiscation of ammunition and communications devices used in the crimes and the deportation of those convicted from the UAE after serving their sentences, WAM reported.
The “arms deals, money laundering endangered UAE interests”, the court order said.
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