In the shadow of Sudan’s devastating civil war, a less visible but equally consequential power struggle is unfolding between two regional powers: Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Egypt supports the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), while the UAE backs the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a conflict that erupted on April 15, 2023. Nearly two years of fighting have resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, pushing Sudan toward total collapse.

In its last days, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on both RSF commander-in-chief Hemedti for command responsibility over forces responsible for genocide, and SAF’s General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for obstructing peace efforts, blocking aid, and the alleged use of chemical weapons.

Despite mounting evidence from U.N. and U.S. investigators of the UAE’s heavy involvement in supporting the RSF in Sudan’s war, Abu Dhabi continues to claim neutrality as a humanitarian actor. However, this claim has been directly challenged at the highest levels of U.S. government.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explicitly accused the UAE of “openly supporting an entity that is carrying out a genocide.”