Report: Bulgaria sold the UAE weapons and missiles later found in the possession of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces

Bulgaria has confirmed that it supplied weapons to the United Arab Emirates that were later transferred to Sudan, despite a European Union arms embargo on the country, according to a France 24 investigation published Friday.

“The products have been fully received by the UAE Ministry of Defense,” the manufacturer, Dunarit.

The company published a copy of a certificate dated August 2020 regarding the UAE Armed Forces’ request to purchase 15,000 81mm mortar shells, “to dispel any doubts about the legitimacy of the Bulgarian position on this matter,” according to Donarit.

The Bulgarian News Agency also quoted the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy as denying any violation of the European arms embargo on Sudan.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Economy said the export permit was granted to a government entity in a country not subject to UN sanctions.

France 24 reported in its investigation that the weapons appeared in a video published in November 2024 by Sudanese militants who said they were intended for the Rapid Support Forces.

War broke out in Sudan on April 15, 2023, between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo.

The conflict stemmed from a power struggle between the two former allies, transforming the country into a sphere of influence, facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in years.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 13 million, according to the United Nations.

The Sudanese army accuses the UAE of supporting the Rapid Support Forces by supplying them with weapons, a claim denied by the Rapid Support Forces and Abu Dhabi.

In mid-April, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern over the influx of weapons and militants into Sudan, noting that this was allowing the brutal war that began two years ago to continue.

In early 2024, experts assigned by the UN Security Council to monitor the sanctions regime condemned violations of the arms embargo and specifically spoke of a supply route from Abu Dhabi to Darfur, western Sudan) via Chad.