UK Linked to UAE-Controlled Somaliland Port Used to Arm Sudan’s RSF

By Staff, Agencies

The UK government holds a stake in a strategic port in the breakaway region of Somaliland that is controlled by the UAE and used as part of a supply network backing the Rapid Support Forces [RSF], the paramilitary group accused of committing genocide in Sudan.

Britain’s share in the Port of Berbera is held through British International Investment [BII], the government’s foreign investment arm, which jointly owns the port alongside the UAE’s logistics giant DP World and the self-declared Government of Somaliland.

The arrangement has raised concerns about a potential conflict between the UK’s commercial interests and its diplomatic stance on the Sudan conflict, where the UAE is accused of arming the RSF in its war against the Sudanese government.

The UK, along with the United States and the European Union, has imposed sanctions on RSF commanders suspected of atrocities including mass killings, sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilians in El Fasher and other parts of Sudan.

While the UAE has consistently denied supplying the RSF—led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti—evidence such as flight data, cargo records, and testimony from officials in Sudan and elsewhere increasingly points to Abu Dhabi’s central role in the conflict.

Diplomatic sources say the UAE has used what US President Donald Trump has described as its “unlimited cash” to pressure London into refraining from openly criticizing its role in Sudan. British-manufactured military equipment exported to the UAE has reportedly been found in Sudan on several occasions, prompting growing scrutiny of the UK’s extensive commercial ties with the Emirates.

Analysts say the Port of Berbera is part of a broader network of Emirati-owned infrastructure spanning the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, which has enhanced the mobility and financing of armed actors in the region.

“The UK cannot credibly call for a ceasefire, accountability, and civilian protection in Sudan while tolerating or participating in regional arrangements that keep armed actors liquid, mobile, and insulated from pressure,” said Amgad Fareid Eltayeb, director of the Sudanese public policy organization Fikra.

A spokesperson for BII said the agency is only a minority investor in Berbera’s commercial port and insisted the facility is “entirely unconnected” to nearby Emirati military installations. BII joined DP World Berbera and Somaliland as a minority investor in early 2022 as part of the port’s expansion. The move fell under a broader partnership with DP World, known as Africa Gateway, aimed at modernizing ports and logistics infrastructure across Africa to boost trade.

The UK and the UAE also share additional commercial interests in Somaliland. UK-listed Genel Energy and the UAE’s RakGas both hold licenses to explore for oil in the territory, with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro recently saying drilling is expected to begin by 2027.

Somaliland has recently become the focus of international controversy after the “Israeli” regime recognized its independence from Mogadishu on December 26, a move that drew widespread condemnation. The decision has fueled speculation that Ethiopia may follow suit. Shortly before the announcement, a senior Ethiopian delegation visited the Port of Berbera and the adjacent Berbera Economic Free Zone. Days later, Ethiopia’s foreign minister declined to say whether Addis Ababa would also recognize Somaliland.