A Lead SWP Author: I’m Noticing Growing Awareness Among German Policymakers of the UAE’s Destabilizing Role in Africa

Sudanhorizon – Exclusive

Dr. Gerrit Kurtz, co-author of the report published by the German Center for Social Policy Studies (SWP), told Sudanhorizon in an exclusive statement that they had previously addressed the UAE’s role in supporting the Rapid Support Forces on several occasions. However, the three of them – as co-authors of the joint report, which was released last week – felt it was important to focus this time on the UAE’s broader regional role in African conflicts.
In response to the editor-in-chief’s question about whether he believed German institutions, represented by the government and parliament, would adopt the report’s recommendations, Dr. Kurtz said, “We’ll see. We can only offer recommendations. However, I am noticing a growing awareness among policymakers of the UAE’s destabilizing role.”

Regarding the center’s potential role in efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan, Dr. Kurtz emphasized that the Center for Social Policy Studies in Germany is a research center focused on policy analysis and advice. He stated that it will continue to concentrate its work on efforts to end the war in Sudan, adding, “The practical side of things is up to the mediators and the parties to the conflict.”
The experts at the Center for Social Policy Studies (SWP) who prepared the report recommended an urgent and comprehensive review of relations with the United Arab Emirates. This review should include, for example, the UAE’s hesitant, even obstructive, role in international climate negotiations; its pragmatic and friendly dealings with Russia; its efforts to expand its political influence in Europe, including its ties to populist and far-right parties; and its support for disinformation networks.
They stressed that the European Union should broaden the scope of its financial sanctions and apply them more consistently, particularly in cases where Emirati actors have been documented violating UN sanctions or supporting warring parties. They recommended a fundamental review of Germany’s arms export policy to the UAE, noting that while the UAE’s need to defend itself against Iranian attacks has increased, the risk of German weapons being transferred to or used in third-party conflicts remains.

They also stressed the importance of implementing stricter standards for enforcing anti-money laundering and transparency regulations, and that the EU should focus more on the role of Emirati financial centers as hubs for conflict economies.

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