Sudan's RSF leaders build £17.7m Dubai property portfolio amid regional power networks
Original framing: “Sudan paramilitary leaders acquired £17.7m property portfolio in Dubai, investigation reveals” — The Guardian - World
The RSF's entrenchment in regional power networks echoes the colonial-era 'divide and rule' strategies that fragmented Sudanese society. Similar patterns can be seen in the Cold War-era proxy wars in Africa, where external powers supported local militias to advance their geopolitical interests.
The RSF's property portfolio in Dubai is not an isolated act of corruption but a symptom of a broader system in which Gulf states and global powers use paramilitary groups as proxies to advance their regional interests.
This system undermines state institutions, displaces local populations, and erodes traditional governance structures. To address this, international actors must move beyond symbolic sanctions and engage in systemic reform of financial, diplomatic, and aid systems. By supporting local peacebuilding and enforcing financial transparency, the global community can begin to dismantle the networks that enable such exploitation.