Lawmakers Demand End to US Arms Sales to UAE Over Sudan Atrocities

The Sudan Doctors Network reported that RSF militants systematically slaughtered civilians during a three-day assault on el-Fasher, including a massacre at the Saudi Maternity Hospital that left over 460 dead. Footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows execution-style killings, while satellite imagery from Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab confirms widespread destruction. International human rights organizations have characterized the RSF campaign as ethnic cleansing, a designation officially adopted by the US State Department in early 2025.

The Intersection of Foreign Policy and Financial Interests

Critics argue that the UAE’s role as an arms dealer to the RSF is enabled by its status as a major recipient of American military hardware. Despite bipartisan warnings, the current administration recently bypassed congressional review to authorize a $1.4 billion aircraft sale to the Gulf state. Sen. Chris Murphy and other legislators have condemned this policy, pointing to the UAE’s deep financial entanglements with the Trump family, including a $2 billion investment in a Trump-backed cryptocurrency venture. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib lead a growing chorus of voices urging a total freeze on weapons shipments, arguing that the US cannot claim to oppose the ongoing genocide while simultaneously arming its primary financial architects.