WASHINGTON — The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday expressed serious apprehension regarding reports of a United Arab Emirates-associated training facility for Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militants in Ethiopia, as well as purported supply routes passing through Somaliland.
Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the committee, issued a stark warning in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter).
“I am troubled by reports of a UAE-connected training base for genocidal RSF elements in Ethiopia with possible supply channels via Somaliland,” Risch stated. “Such actions would be provocative and provide additional grounds to designate the RSF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, imposing repercussions for this regional backing.”
Ports Under Scrutiny
This statement follows months of unverified reports suggesting that external actors have utilized the ports of Bosaso and Berbera in northern Somalia, along with their respective airports, to facilitate the transportation of weaponry and combatants destined for deployment in Sudan.
The purported assistance is intended to support the RSF, which is engaged in a brutal conflict with Sudan’s government—a war characterized by accusations of genocide and severe human rights violations.
Washington’s Stance
The committee’s comments indicate growing unease in Washington regarding what it termed as potential regional proxy involvement that could further destabilize the Horn of Africa.
Analysts note that designating the RSF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization would have significant legal and diplomatic consequences for any nation or entity found to be providing them with material support.
