New report: RSF training camps, supply routes in Libya fuelling Sudan’s war — ‘What we’ve uncovered is really just the tip of the iceberg’

Andrew Bergman interviews Klaas van Dijken, Director of Lighthouse Reports for Radio Dabanga

The United Arab Emirates is widely accused of playing a key role in sustaining Sudan’s civil war. But until now, little has been known about how that support is channelled through neighbouring countries. Lighthouse Reports director Klaas van Dijken explains how a months-long investigation uncovered evidence of a network of RSF training camps in eastern Libya, the role of the UAE in sustaining the war in Sudan, and why he believes international pressure is urgently needed.

For a new investigation co-published last week by Lighthouse Reports, Evident and Sudan War Monitor Inside the Secret Network Fueling Sudan’s War, reporters travelled to eastern Libya to investigate the routes, facilities and infrastructure they say are being used to back the RSF in its nearly four-year conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces, that is leaving what is widely termed the world’s most dire humanitarian crisis in its wake: thousands of Sudanese civilians dead from violence, disease, or starvation, millions of Sudanese displaced, or as refugees in neighbouring countries, and vast swaths of complete destruction.

Combining open-source analysis with reporting on the ground, the investigation presents new evidence about what it says is one of the UAE’s most significant operations supporting the RSF.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, the director of Lighthouse Reports, Klaas van Dijken, fears the network documented by his team is “only the tip of the iceberg”. He says that UAE support routed through Libya is crucial to the RSF military campaign, which he believes would quickly collapse without.

The investigators say that they discovered five military training camps and staging sites, four of them were previously unknown. The camps, which span Northern and Southern Libya, are used to train RSF-members on heavy weaponry and new weapons which soldiers then transport back to Sudan.

RSF defectors and current soldiers along with Libyan National Army sources told the team these sites also provide the RSF with logistical support including fuel and pickup trucks, which are often modified for battle before being driven back to Sudan.

‘Long investigation’

Lighthouse Reports director Klaas van Dijken explains how a months-long investigation uncovered evidence of a network of RSF training camps in eastern Libya, the role of the UAE in sustaining the war in Sudan, and why he believes international pressure is urgently needed.

“It has been known for quite some time that the Rapid Support Forces were receiving support from the UAE, but the evidence was fairly limited. People knew weapons were moving through Chad and that aircraft were landing in neighbouring countries around Sudan, but very little was known about how that support actually worked on the ground.

“These kinds of investigations take time, a dedicated team, and the ability to combine many different research methods. Together with Evident Media and Sudan War Monitor, we wanted to understand how the RSF was receiving support beyond Chad. Researchers, sources within the RSF and defectors all pointed to eastern Libya as one of the main – if not the main – transit routes for weapons and military training. That’s why we focused our investigation there.”

Following the evidence

“The best example is what we discovered at Camp 17. We travelled to eastern Libya to investigate what was happening around Kufra, near the border triangle with Egypt and Sudan. While we were there, the Libyan National Army was watching us closely, making it difficult to speak to sensitive sources. The environment itself was also challenging, so we had to be extremely careful throughout.

“Later, in Benghazi, we spoke to RSF defectors who told us they had been trained at a camp outside the city. One of them helped us identify its location using Google Earth. We then combined satellite imagery with open-source information and confirmed that the camp existed and was still active. We saw vehicles consistent with those used by both the LNA and the RSF, as well as groups of people appearing to receive military training.

‘Colombian mercenaries’

“We also confirmed that mobile phones originating from South America were active inside the camp, supporting the defectors’ accounts that Colombian mercenaries were providing training there. That’s an example of how we combined open-source intelligence, satellite imagery, and on-the-ground reporting.”

“The strongest evidence came from people’s testimony. What was unique was our access to RSF defectors, active military sources within the RSF and contacts on the LNA side. They consistently confirmed that these camps exist and remain active today.

“What surprised me most was just how widespread these facilities are and how closely the LNA and the RSF are working together. We identified four previously unknown training camps, but I believe there are many more that we were unable to verify. What we’ve uncovered is really just the tip of the iceberg.

“This is a major hub where the RSF trains fighters, assembles equipment and prepares forces to continue the war in Sudan.”

A message to the international community

“It’s well known that the LNA has longstanding ties with the UAE. The UAE supported Haftar during the war in Libya and is now using those same relationships to continue supporting both the LNA and the RSF. This network has become a crucial part of the RSF’s ability to sustain the conflict in Sudan.

“The first thing I hope comes from this investigation is greater pressure on the UAE to end its support for the RSF. One of the defectors says at the end of our documentary that if the UAE stopped providing support, the RSF would collapse very quickly because it is so heavily dependent on that assistance.

“I also want European governments to recognise the contradiction in their current approach. They are working with eastern Libya and Haftar to reduce migration to Europe while overlooking the role those same authorities are playing in prolonging a war that is creating even more refugees.

“The European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom all have leverage. They should use it to pressure not only the UAE but also other countries supporting Sudan’s warring parties. If they want greater peace and stability in the region, that is one of the most important steps they can take towards bringing this devastating war to an end.”