Khartoum, 16-5-2026 (SUNA) – Ali Rizqallah “Al-Safana,” a commander who defected from the rebel militia, stated that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is fully responsible for financing and arming the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, noting that it has been directly supplying military equipment to Darfur via aircraft flights landing on improvised dirt airstrips spread across Darfur and Kordofan. Speaking at a press conference in Khartoum on Saturday, Al-Safana said the militia had long prepared to dismantle Sudan and that the war was launched under UAE orders, planning, and full financial support. He added that the management of the war is now effectively in the hands of the UAE, while the militia leadership is merely executing decisions it has no power to stop. He further stated that the United Arab Emirates is leading the war against Sudan and drawing in Western and African countries into the conflict, in addition to recruiting foreign mercenaries through financial incentives. Al-Safana also addressed social components within the militia, saying that the path of return to the homeland remains open, and stating that the Dagalo family is pushing communities from Darfur and Kordofan toward destruction for its own interests, while disregarding the suffering and losses of other groups.  He confirmed that RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo was injured in the vicinity of the General Command of the Armed Forces in Khartoum during the early days of the war. He added that Hemedti is currently moving between several African countries, the UAE, and Nyala, noting that the Sudanese Armed Forces are monitoring his movements.BH/BH