Abu Dhabi Court Imposes Life Sentences in Major Sudanese Arms Trafficking Case

The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal has handed down life sentences to eight men for their involvement in a significant arms trafficking network linked to the civil war in Sudan. The individuals sentenced on Thursday include Rashid Omar Abdul Qadir Ali, Salah Abdullah Mohammed Mohammed Saleh (also known as Salah Gosh), Ahmed Abdullah (known as Abdullah Khalafallah), Ahmed Rabie Sayed Ahmed, Mohammed Fath Al Beik, Yasser Al Atta, Othman Al Zubair, and Maher Abdul Jalil, as reported by the state news agency Wam.

The court's decision follows the discovery of a network involved in arms deals, commercial companies, bank transfers, and cash payments. These activities were aimed at supplying weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to the Sudanese army and concealing the true nature, sources, and destinations of the funds. The court ordered the confiscation of seized ammunition, mobile phones, and communication devices used in the crimes, as well as the deportation of the convicted individuals from the UAE upon completion of their sentences.

Judges determined that the arms deals were conducted for the benefit of one party in the Sudanese conflict, potentially harming the UAE's international relations and endangering its interests. In addition to the life sentences, Ali, Saleh, Abdullah, and Jalil received three-year prison sentences for money laundering. Othman Babiker, Khalid Yousuf Mukhtar, and Ahmed Khalafallah Abdullah were also sentenced for money laundering.

The court further ordered the confiscation of Dh1.5 million ($408,441) in seized funds and the deportation of those convicted. Several companies implicated in the money laundering scheme were fined Dh1 million each, had their licenses cancelled, and their illicit gains confiscated. These companies include Rashed Omar Brokerage Company, Portex Trade Limited, Apollara Electronics Trading Company, Yellow Sand Trading Company, Wardat Al Masarra Trading Company, and Sudamina – Free Zone.

Two individuals, Mubarak Ali Al Sheikh and Musab Awad Al Karim Hassan, were acquitted of all charges. The court found that the defendants traded weapons, ammunition, and military equipment without the necessary licenses or authorization. Evidence revealed that ammunition was brought into the UAE under the guise of medical equipment for subsequent shipment to Sudan. Payments for the military equipment were processed in the UAE through bank transfers and cash, with Rashid Omar Abdul Qadir Ali reportedly playing a key role by supplying weapons and ammunition to the Sudanese armed forces, receiving approximately Dh8 million in cash from Jalil for one transaction.

Yasser Al Atta, identified as the assistant to the commander-in-chief of the Sudanese military, was stated to have requested the purchase of the weapons. Othman Al Zubair, the army's financial official for armament requirements, inspected shipments and handled supplier payments, disbursing funds for the weapons and ammunition to Jalil, despite knowing the defendants lacked authorization for arms trading in the UAE. Mukhtar, former director of Saleh's office at the Sudanese Intelligence Service, reportedly received commissions from the deal.

Ahmed was found to have acted as an intermediary, facilitating Omar and his company's acquisition of approvals from Sudanese military leaders for weapon supplies and participating in meetings to monitor deal implementation. Al Beik, a former adviser to the Sudanese finance minister, connected Omar with other individuals to secure his company as a supplier to the Sudanese army, despite the firm not being involved in arms sales. Al Beik incurred an additional fine of Dh146,000.

Details also emerged regarding Khalafallah's participation in an arms deal, with his brother, Ahmed Khalafallah, receiving Dh1.85 million from one transaction, despite neither brother possessing a license for military equipment trading in the UAE. The court concluded that the convicted men were part of an integrated scheme involving forged documents, companies, and bank accounts in the UAE for the illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment.