By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s administration will provide U.S. lawmakers an assessment by Jan. 17 on the credibility of assurances by the United Arab Emirates that it is not providing – and will not provide – weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.
The letter came from Brett McGurk, Biden’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. The White House has been under pressure from fellow Democrats to halt weapons sales to the UAE until the U.S. certifies it is not arming the RSF, one of the parties in a brutal civil war that has killed tens of thousands.
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Sara Jacobs filed legislation in the Senate and House last month that would have halted the weapons sales.
“Despite reports we have received suggesting the contrary has occurred to date, the UAE has informed the Administration that it is not now transferring any weapons to the RSF and will not do so going forward,” McGurk wrote.
The administration would “monitor for indicators of the credibility of these assurances provided by the UAE,” he wrote. He added that by Jan. 17, “I commit to providing you with the executive branch’s up-to-date assessment in that regard.”
U.S. law requires congressional review of major arms deals. Senators can force votes on resolutions of disapproval that would block such sales. Although the law does not let House members trigger such votes, resolutions must pass both chambers of Congress, and potentially survive a presidential veto, to go into effect.
War erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF over a transition to free elections. The United Nations has said nearly 25 million people – half of Sudan’s population – need aid, famine is looming and some 8 million people have fled their homes.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to announce at the United Nations on Thursday additional funding for humanitarian assistance to Sudan and efforts to support civil society in the country.
Sudan’s army has accused the UAE of providing weapons and support to the RSF in Sudan’s 18-month-old war. The Gulf state denies the allegations. U.N. sanctions monitors have described as credible accusations that the UAE had provided military support to the RSF.
The UAE has long been a major purchaser of U.S. weapons.
In October, the Biden administration announced, for example, that it had approved a potential sale of GMLRS and ATACMS munitions, and related support, for $1.2 billion.
GMLRS, or Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System rockets, are made by Lockheed Martin, with L3Harris Technologies producing the solid propellant rocket motor for the system. The long-range ATACMS are made by Lockheed Martin.
Van Hollen’s and Jacobs’ resolutions sought to stop that sale.
“Without the UAE’s support, the RSF will not have the same capabilities to wage this war – making negotiation and a ceasefire a much likelier alternative,” Jacobs said in a statement.
Van Hollen said he would closely monitor the assessment of the UAE’s compliance. “Should the UAE fail to live up to these assurances, we retain the right to refile our Joint Resolution of Disapproval to block the sale in the next Congress,” he said.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Don Durfee and David Gregorio)
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