# Canadian weapons are enabling Sudan’s ‘war against civilians

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doS9bKKU5Tw
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/doS9bKKU5Tw
Generated: 2025-11-28T20:38:52.335+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Canadian weapons sales to the UAE are indirectly fueling the war in Sudan by allowing the UAE to support the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been credibly accused of committing massacres and atrocities in Darfur, as the Canadian government has failed to take accountability or halt weapon exports despite the ongoing conflict.

**Key Points:**
- The ongoing war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has escalated, with the RSF accused of widespread atrocities.
- Canadian weapons, including those manufactured by companies like Sterlin Cross, are being exported to the UAE, which then supplies the RSF, bypassing Canadian arms embargo regulations.
- Ismail Adam, representing the Darfur Association of Canada, stated that the conflict has displaced 2.5 million people and killed up to 400,000.
- Nisrin Elamin noted that the Sudanese resistance movement is operating through non-hierarchical, consensus-based collectives, contrasting with the military elites' actions.
- The Sudanese civil resistance is demanding justice and an end to the military elite's control, contrasting with the UAE's financial support for the RSF.
- The Canadian government's complicity is highlighted by the failure to close loopholes in arms export regulations that allow Canadian weapons to reach conflict zones like Sudan via third parties like the UAE.
- The Canadian government recently announced a $70 million trade agreement with the UAE, coinciding with the ongoing violence, which activists argue prioritizes trade over human rights concerns.

![Screenshot at 00:16: Host Desmond Cole introduces the topic, stating that the rapid support forces \(RSF\) have strengthened their position in Darfur using weapons made in Canada, setting the stage for the discussion on Canadian complicity in the conflict.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/doS9bKKU5Tw/00-00-16.png)

**Context:** This video features a discussion on 'The Breach Show' between host Desmond Cole, journalist and author, and guests Ismail Adam (President of the Darfur Association of Canada) and Nisrin Elamin (Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto and co-founder of the Sudan Solidarity Collective). The primary topic is the role of Canadian foreign policy, specifically arms sales, in exacerbating the conflict between the SAF and the RSF in Sudan, focusing on the atrocities committed by the RSF in Darfur.

## Detailed Analysis

The discussion centers on Canada's indirect involvement in the Sudanese civil war through its arms trade, particularly with the UAE. Desmond Cole opens by noting the escalation of the conflict and the RSF's use of Canadian-made weapons, which have resulted in massacres and displacement affecting up to 400,000 people. Ismail Adam provided context on the scale of the crisis, mentioning 2.5 million displaced people and over 3,200 applications for asylum in Canada from those fleeing the violence. He criticized Canada's lack of accountability, pointing out the hypocrisy of selling arms to the UAE while claiming to support humanitarian causes. Nisrin Elamin elaborated on the Sudanese resistance's decentralized, consensus-based organizing, contrasting it with the military elite's actions, which she argues are supported by the UAE and other international backers like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey. She highlighted that the 2019 popular revolution was betrayed by the coup in October 2021, leading to the current conflict where the RSF and SAF fight for political and economic control. Elamin also mentioned the role of Canadian entities, like the Sudan Solidarity Collective, in supporting local resistance networks and exposing Canadian complicity through entities like the UAE, which allegedly launders Canadian weapons into Sudan. She emphasized that the Canadian government's actions, such as the recent $70 million trade agreement with the UAE, contradict any stated commitment to human rights, especially given the documented use of Canadian weapons in atrocities and the resulting humanitarian crisis.

### Sudan Conflict Context

- Escalation of war between SAF and RSF
- Atrocities committed by RSF in Darfur
- Up to 400,000 killed and 2.5 million displaced.

### Canadian Complicity

- Canadian weapons (e.g., from Sterlin Cross) exported to UAE, which then supplies the RSF, bypassing Canadian arms embargoes.

### Sudanese Resistance Efforts

- Resistance committees organize using non-hierarchical, consensus-based models, contrasting with the military elite's power grab following the 2019 revolution.

### International Involvement

- The RSF is supported by UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey, while Canada's role is implicated via arms exports and trade deals.

### Bill C-233

- A proposed bill aiming to close loopholes that allow Canadian arms exports to bypass sanctions, specifically targeting the flow of weapons to the UAE for use in Sudan.

### Activist Goals

- Guests advocate for holding the Canadian government accountable for its role in enabling atrocities and demand an end to complicity, urging support for Sudanese civilians.

![Screenshot at 00:07: Desmond Cole introduces the Breach Show episode featuring guests discussing the war in Sudan and Canadian arms exports.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/doS9bKKU5Tw/00-00-07.png)
![Screenshot at 00:13: Ismail Adam, identified as a Journalist and Author, begins to discuss the war's impact, citing high casualty and displacement figures.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/doS9bKKU5Tw/00-00-13.png)
![Screenshot at 01:17: The three participants—Cole, Elamin, and Adam—are visible in a split-screen interview format.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/doS9bKKU5Tw/00-01-17.png)
![Screenshot at 03:38: Ismail Adam gestures while discussing the scope of Canadian complicity through arms sales and the resulting atrocities.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/doS9bKKU5Tw/00-03-38.png)
![Screenshot at 05:51: Nisrin Elamin discusses the Sudanese popular revolution and the military elite's actions in the context of Canadian support.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/doS9bKKU5Tw/00-05-51.png)
