Sudan News Platform “Nabaa Sudan” has obtained confidential information from reliable sources revealing that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues to provide weapons, military equipment, and advanced technology to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia via transit routes from Somalia to Ethiopia. This follows global exposure of the UAE’s clandestine operations in the region.
Despite repeated international and regional scandals, the UAE appears undeterred, persisting in a destructive strategy that destabilizes the Horn of Africa. Recent monitoring indicates that arms shipments to the RSF (commonly known as the Janjaweed) continue unabated, with multiple flights tracked to Libyan airports near the Sudanese border, originating from UAE hubs and selected African airports.
Aircraft and Operations Involved
The operations are conducted using heavy-lift transport aircraft, specifically the AN-124, operated by Maximus Company, one of the UAE’s largest cargo carriers. The company is currently headed by Samer Ramadan, succeeding Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Qasimi.
With increasing scrutiny on Somaliland, Ethiopia appears to have become the new transit point for arming the RSF militia. Multiple flights to Ethiopian destinations have been tracked using this aircraft. Notably, the same aircraft carried out missions to Israel in late 2025.
The aircraft and its operating company are banned by the European Union and remain highly suspicious due to deliberate disabling of flight tracking systems. Founded in 2001 in Moldova by Raisa Ghilan, Maximus has a controversial history: suspended in 2007, involved in a helicopter incident in Afghanistan in 2009, briefly resumed operations in 2016, then suspended again in 2017.
The company was highlighted in the 2008 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, which exposed its involvement in fuelling conflicts in Africa and underscored the UAE’s central role in war financing and illicit arms trade.
Global Concerns and Oversight
These activities prompted a United Nations expert team to participate in the 2005 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) conference in Montreal to develop a global aviation safety strategy. The conference resulted in a blacklist of Antonov aircraft, revealing that many unsafe operators were registered in Moldova but controlled from the UAE, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other conflict zones—violating Annex 6 of the Chicago Convention. Numerous Antonov operators implicated in arms trafficking were identified.
Other Notable Companies
• Phoenix Aviation, originally registered in Kyrgyzstan and later split into AVE.com based in Sharjah, UAE, now conducts charter passenger flights across the Middle East. Communication with its Kyiv office is routed to Sharjah, where former Russian military personnel are employed.
• Picotox Company, banned by the EU in 2019 for transporting arms to conflict zones, resurfaced in 2024 under strict secrecy regarding ownership. It regained its air operator certificate on 20 November 2024 and conducted its first flight two days later from Al Ain to Benghazi, a key hub for arming the Janjaweed and transporting mercenaries. The company also conducted repeated flights to N’Djamena, Chad.
Summary
These operations reveal the extent of the UAE’s covert strategy. Even after global exposure, the UAE continues to seek alternative companies and transit hubs to implement its regional plans, solidifying its role as a hub for suspicious aviation operations that fuel conflict and instability in Africa.
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