By Maïssata Koné-Dubois, Mondafrique: In an explosive report, the German think tank Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik accuses Abu Dhabi of being a major force behind instability across Africa. [Full report here] Until the Sudan war, the United Arab Emirates had largely escaped sustained scrutiny. That period now appears to be over. Its support for Hemetti’s Rapid Support Forces, which have been accused of carrying out massacres and using famine and rape as weapons of war, has brought renewed attention. The war against Iran has further intensified the spotlight.

A think tank closely associated with the German state has published one of the harshest assessments ever produced in Europe regarding the United Arab Emirates. In its report titled The Destabilising Role of the United Arab Emirates in African Conflicts, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik argues that Abu Dhabi has become “one of the most aggressive external actors in African conflicts.” The report states that the UAE provides weapons, financial support, and logistical assistance to armed groups involved in large-scale atrocities.

The document accuses Abu Dhabi of fueling African wars, supporting armed groups and militias, circumventing arms embargoes, sustaining wartime economies, and contributing to the long-term destabilization of African states.

The authors also criticize European governments for their silence. Since the outbreak of the Sudan war in April 2023, Western capitals have frequently referred to “external actors” without explicitly naming the UAE, reportedly out of concern for preserving relations with the Gulf state.

The German government itself has avoided making such accusations directly. Instead, the criticism has been voiced through a think tank connected to the state apparatus, as though Berlin wished to speak without formally owning the message.

Speaking Without Naming

Another example of what the article describes as European inconsistency occurred in April, when Berlin hosted a major international conference on Sudan attended by European and American officials, international organizations, and Arab countries. However, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s de facto leader and commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, was not invited.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned massacres, ethnic violence, rape, and the use of famine as a weapon of war, yet he also avoided directly naming the UAE. More recently, the same minister told the French National Assembly that Paris had merely “asked our partner to stop supporting the RSF.”

According to the article, Abu Dhabi did not change its policy, and support for Hemetti reportedly continued even during the conflict with Iran.

From the Red Sea to the Mediterranean

The significance of the report lies in what the author sees as the end of fifteen years of strategic silence. Beginning around 2010, the UAE expanded its security and political influence across Africa.

Behind Dubai’s image as a commercial hub, Mohammed bin Zayed first established influence in Somalia by supporting Puntland security forces, officially as part of anti-piracy efforts. Through the port operator DP World, the UAE then developed a network of ports and logistical corridors across the Horn of Africa, including Berbera in Somaliland, Bosaso in Somalia, and Assab in Eritrea.

In 2014, the UAE took a more direct role in Libya by supporting Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar against the Tripoli-based government. Air strikes, drones, logistics, and financing reportedly made the UAE, alongside Egypt, one of Haftar’s principal regional backers.

The Dirty Wars

The Yemen war became a major turning point in Emirati regional strategy and marked the beginning of involvement in some of the deadliest conflicts in the region.

Starting in 2015, the UAE established a significant presence in Assab, Eritrea. The port was expanded, the airfield upgraded, and drones, aircraft, and military vessels deployed.

Assab became a key operational hub in the war against the Houthis, a conflict associated with extensive bombing campaigns, humanitarian suffering, and allegations of war crimes.

At the same time, Abu Dhabi strengthened ties with local actors throughout the Horn of Africa, deepened relations with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, and became involved in Ethiopia during the Tigray conflict.

The article describes the Tigray war as a devastating conflict that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths amid massacres, famine, and large-scale abuses against civilians.

Relations between Abu Dhabi and Asmara eventually deteriorated, however. Eritrea gradually pushed the UAE out, and the Assab military base was largely dismantled beginning in 2021.

So Far, So Good…

The article argues that Western governments largely supported the war against the Houthis, while the Tigray conflict received relatively little international attention.

It further contends that Emirati financial influence helped mute criticism. According to the article, the UAE invested heavily through sovereign wealth funds, real estate projects, arms contracts, and sports investments, creating influence networks throughout Western capitals.

Officials in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, and Brussels were generally reluctant to confront a monarchy capable of investing tens of billions of dollars.

The article argues that many governments were already aware of Abu Dhabi’s interventions in Libya, alleged embargo violations, support for armed groups, use of mercenary networks, proxy conflicts, and military activities in the Horn of Africa, yet chose not to act.

Sudan Breaks the Silence

When war erupted in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, attention quickly turned toward the UAE.

Journalistic investigations, non-governmental organizations, and United Nations experts highlighted allegations against the RSF, including ethnic massacres, civilian executions, systematic looting, and the use of famine and rape as weapons of war.

Reports also described logistical corridors passing through Chad, suspicious air traffic, arms deliveries, and Sudanese gold networks linked to the UAE.

Abu Dhabi has consistently denied these allegations. Nevertheless, the political costs have increased. Debate intensified on social media, while members of the U.S. Congress began openly accusing the UAE of supplying weapons to the RSF despite assurances provided to Washington. Some lawmakers called for freezing arms sales to Abu Dhabi.

The publication of the German report added further pressure, particularly as the war against Iran, which the article describes as unpopular across much of the Arab world, drew renewed attention to the growing relationship between Abu Dhabi and Israel.

According to the article, the UAE is increasingly viewed not merely as a Gulf state pursuing its own interests, but as part of a broader regional security axis involving Israel and focused on the Red Sea region.

In the author’s view, the period during which the UAE could avoid scrutiny has come to an end.