By: Darfur followups
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are waging a fierce war across Sudan, and amid the ongoing conflict, German media reports have documented the presence of advanced European weapons in the group’s possession. A report by Tagesschau cites visual evidence analyzed by the investigative program Report Mainz, showing that the RSF appear to be using weapons believed to be of German origin.
According to Tagesschau, Report Mainz analyzed videos and photos said to have been taken during the early stages of the war. One photo shows a fighter wearing RSF uniform and holding a rifle. Investigators were able to identify the man and confirm that he was in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, at the time the photo was taken.
The image is significant because the weapon shown appears to be a G36C rifle, manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch. Weapons experts also identified similar models of the G36 in two additional videos allegedly recorded in Sudan.
How did German weapons reach Sudan?
Heckler & Koch responded to inquiries from Report Mainz, stating that the weapons in the images “appear to differ from the G36,” and that no firm conclusions can be drawn without serial numbers. The company emphasized that it cannot assess whether these weapons have reached a conflict zone or how that might have occurred.
Weapons expert Mike Lewis, who previously researched Sudan for the United Nations, says armed groups in the country continue to receive “steady supplies of weapons, ammunition, military vehicles and other equipment, delivered by air and land.” Lewis notes that large quantities of arms of various origins have entered Sudan, including Bulgarian-made mortar shells.
Allegations involving the UAE
Conflict researcher Max Mutschler of the Bonn International Center for Conflict Studies (BICC) says that the movement of weapons from one conflict zone to another is common across Africa, including in Sudan, for both government forces and the RSF. He adds that G36 grenade launchers have been exported to numerous countries outside Europe.
Reports have also documented other European weapons in Sudan. France 24 traced the origin of mortar shells found in the Sudanese desert using a delivery document obtained by Report Mainz. The document shows that the shells were exported from Bulgaria to a company in the United Arab Emirates—though it remains unclear how they later reached Sudan.
The UAE has long been accused of supporting the RSF, allegations that Abu Dhabi denied in a statement to Report Mainz. Nevertheless, Tagesschau notes evidence suggesting that some UAE-manufactured weapons systems have reached Sudan, including armored personnel carriers produced by Nimr Automotive. Video footage analyzed over the past six years shows these vehicles operating inside Sudan.
Traces leading back to Europe
Investigators also identified European technologies inside vehicles found in Sudan, including a French-made defense system and a specialized British engine. Their findings eventually led to the German company Webasto, a manufacturer of heating and climate-control technologies. Webasto declined to answer specific questions but emphasized that its export policies strictly comply with UN, EU and national arms embargo regulations.
Nimr Automotive did not respond to Report Mainz inquiries.
Calls for scrutiny and policy review
German lawmaker Adis Ahmetovic urged the government to reassess its arms export policies, saying: “If it is confirmed that foreign actors are using German weapons in Sudan, this issue must be reconsidered.”
Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy said it has not reached “any independent findings” regarding the allegations. The ministry noted that it has inspected the end-use of arms exported to the UAE only once since 2017 and found no violations at that time.
