US Senate Chairman Warns of UAE-linked Training Hub for Rapid Support Militia in Ethiopia and Calls for Terrorist Designation
The Chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch, has issued a strong warning about new reports indicating the existence of a United Arab Emirates-linked training hub inside Ethiopia dedicated to preparing fighters for Sudan’s Rapid Support Militia. In a public statement on social media, the senior US lawmaker described these developments as deeply alarming and called for firm action in response.
“I am concerned about reports of a UAE-linked training hub for genocidal RSF thugs in Ethiopia with possible supply routes via Somaliland,” Senator Risch wrote. “These moves would be escalatory and further reason to designate the RSF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, bringing consequences for this regional proxy support.”
The statement by the influential Republican senator represents one of the clearest acknowledgments to date within the US Congress of the growing regional network supporting the Rapid Support Militia and of the central role played by the United Arab Emirates. His call to designate the militia as a terrorist organization reflects rising frustration in Washington over the continued flow of fighters, weapons, and funding that has allowed the militia to prolong the war and commit widespread atrocities against Sudanese civilians.
Senator Risch’s warning comes in the wake of a major Reuters investigation that revealed detailed evidence of a secret military camp operating in western Ethiopia to train thousands of fighters for the Rapid Support Militia. The Reuters report, based on Ethiopian government and security sources, internal documents, diplomatic cables, and satellite imagery, confirmed that the camp was built with direct financing and logistical backing from the UAE.
According to the investigation, the facility has already been training thousands of recruits, with military trainers and supplies provided by the Emirates. Satellite images showed large-scale construction, hundreds of tents, and the development of nearby infrastructure, including upgrades to Asosa Airport that analysts believe are being used to support drone operations and logistical resupply for the militia across the Sudanese border.
The Reuters findings provide crucial background to Senator Risch’s concerns. They demonstrate that the Rapid Support Militia is benefiting from an organized external support system operating beyond Sudan’s borders. The possibility of additional supply routes through Somaliland, as mentioned by the senator, points to an even wider regional network designed to sustain the militia militarily and politically.
For months, Sudanese officials and international human rights organizations have warned that the Rapid Support Militia is responsible for war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. Despite this record, the militia has continued to receive steady backing from outside actors, allowing it to remain a powerful military force and to resist all efforts to bring the conflict to an end.
By raising the issue publicly, Senator Risch has placed new pressure on the US administration to take stronger measures. Designating the Rapid Support Militia as a Foreign Terrorist Organization would trigger legal and financial consequences for anyone providing it with assistance. Such a move would directly target the external networks that keep the militia alive and fighting.
The senator’s statement underscores a growing recognition in Washington that the war in Sudan cannot be understood simply as a domestic power struggle. It is increasingly a regional conflict shaped by foreign agendas and proxy interventions. As long as these support channels remain open, the chances for Peace and stability in Sudan will continue to shrink.
From the secret training camp in Ethiopia to potential supply routes through Somaliland, from military financing to logistical coordination, a consistent pattern emerges. Every new piece of evidence points in the same direction. Behind the fighters, behind the weapons, behind the infrastructure, and behind the escalation stands the same actor.
Source: Sudantribune
