BERLIN – Human Rights Watch urged German authorities to raise concerns over the United Arab Emirates’ alleged role in Sudan’s war and its domestic human rights record during a planned meeting between senior German officials and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Berlin on Sept. 10.

The rights group said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and other officials should publicly address the UAE’s human rights record and its role in regional conflicts during the visit.

Human Rights Watch quoted its Germany director, Philippe Fritsch, as saying that the German government’s reluctance to publicly confront what he described as “the UAE’s destructive role in Sudan” was concerning.

Fritsch said Germany had led efforts to push for UN investigations into atrocities committed in Sudan and had hosted an international conference on the crisis earlier this year.

UAE Role in Sudan

Human Rights Watch said a report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, released on Sept. 1, documented what it described as UAE-linked support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of the two main parties to Sudan’s war since April 2023.

The organization said the UN report found that individuals and entities operating from, registered in or linked to the UAE played a significant role in networks involved in recruiting, financing, transporting and deploying foreign military contractors, as well as providing military-related support that benefited the RSF.

The UAE has denied allegations that it provides military or logistical support to the RSF.

Human Rights Watch also cited its own May 2026 report, which said Global Security Services Group, based in Abu Dhabi, had recruited hundreds of Colombian military contractors since 2024 who were later deployed to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF.

The organization urged Germany and other European Union countries to investigate the company and its chief executive, Mohammed Hamdan Al-Zaabi, and consider targeted sanctions against those involved.

It also called for an EU-wide arms embargo on the UAE and public condemnation of what it described as UAE support for the RSF.

Domestic Rights Concerns

Human Rights Watch also urged Germany to raise the UAE’s domestic human rights record, including restrictions on freedom of expression and association, the prosecution of dissidents and activists, and abuses affecting migrant workers.

The group said UAE courts upheld the convictions of 83 human rights defenders and dissidents in 2025, while prominent rights activist Ahmed Mansoor has remained in detention since 2017.

Berlin Visit

The statement comes ahead of the UAE president’s planned visit to Germany, amid reports that the two countries are expected to announce a major investment partnership, discuss security cooperation and visit German arms manufacturers.

Human Rights Watch said stronger economic and security ties between Germany and the UAE should not come at the expense of raising human rights concerns or scrutinizing the UAE’s alleged role in armed conflicts.

It urged Berlin to take a clearer position on individuals and entities accused of supporting the RSF in Sudan.

Background

Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF after a power struggle over security arrangements and the integration of the paramilitary force into the army.

The conflict has since spread across much of the country, triggering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, mass displacement, widespread hunger and the collapse of health and basic services.

UN investigators and rights groups have repeatedly warned that foreign weapons, fighters, financing and logistical networks are helping prolong the conflict and worsening civilian suffering.