Bellingcat and our companions at Kenya’s Day by day Nation have recognized Kenyan-labelled crates of ammunition inside an alleged RSF depot near the just lately recaptured Sudanese capital Khartoum.
Though we couldn’t independently confirm the contents of each crate recognized, tins with ammunition matching the labels on the crates have been discovered close by among the many captured weapons displayed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
The affirmation of ammunition crates inside Sudan raises new questions on Kenya’s involvement within the battle following a high-profile go to by Speedy Help Forces chief Normal Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to Nairobi earlier this yr.
In response to the go to, the Sudanese authorities banned all imports from Kenya amid a notion of shut ties between the Ruto authorities and Normal Dagalo, extensively often called Hemedti.
The Kenyan authorities defended the choice to host Hemedti, stating that their purpose was to promote dialogue and peace and emphasising the significance of partaking all events concerned within the battle.
Whereas the Kenya Ordnance Factories Company (KOFC) states on its web site that it produces small arms ammunition, it doesn’t point out manufacturing higher-calibre 14.5×114 mm cartridges and the Chinese language-made HE PP87 mortar bombs recognized on this investigation.
Our companions at Day by day Nation reached out to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Kenya to ask concerning the crates we recognized and the way they ended up in Sudan. We additionally requested whether or not it was Kenyan authorities coverage to provide ammunition or weapons to the Speedy Help Forces and the way this comports with the federal government’s public dedication to facilitating peace and dialogue in Sudan.
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In its response, the Ministry of Defence mentioned it didn’t recognise the crates or labels on them and distanced itself from the allegations. Its reply seems to be restricted to nationally produced ammunition solely in addition to inside protocols. It didn’t point out if Kenya has finished any imports, worldwide transfers or diversions of the weapons or ammunition in query. An announcement that leaves key issues concerning the Sudan connection unclear.
“Upon examination of the images offered, we want to state that we don’t acknowledge the crates nor the inscriptions on them.
The Kenya Ordinance Manufacturing facility Company and, by extension, the Ministry is alive to the delicate nature of the ammunition it manufactures, and because of this, it has clear information of its provides inside and past Kenya. Alongside this, and to ensure public security, audits of the manufacturing unit’s operations are incessantly performed by the managing and exterior oversight authorities.
The Ministry of Defence, due to this fact, distances itself from the allegations you despatched earlier.
Additional, we stay totally dedicated to upholding the rule of legislation and proceed to function strictly throughout the mandate granted by the Structure and relevant authorizations.”
Justin Lynch, Managing Director of the Battle Insights Group and a Sudan researcher, informed Bellingcat the invention of the crates is additional proof of Kenya’s political and logistical help for the RSF.
A Nation at Conflict, Awash with Overseas Weapons
Sudan is within the midst of an ongoing civil warfare between two rival factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Speedy Help Forces (RSF).
The stash of ammunition crates positioned close to Sudan’s capital was filmed by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) troopers who took half within the closing push to retake town from the RSF who’ve managed Khartoum and its surrounding cities for a lot of the civil warfare.
The SAF declared it had retaken the ultimate areas of resistance in Khartoum, its twin metropolis of Omdurman, and the neighbouring metropolis of Bahri on Might 20, stating the three areas have been now fully freed from RSF forces.
The re-taking of the capital has led to a lot footage and pictures being launched. Together with footage that seems to indicate provides utilized by the RSF.
A 2005 UN arms embargo stays in place prohibiting any nation from supplying weapons to Darfur, Sudan, an space that has seen intense preventing because the outbreak of the civil warfare.
Nevertheless each Amnesty Worldwide and Human Rights Watch have recognized weapons produced in China, Iran, Russia, Serbia and the UAE getting used within the battle.
The Sudanese authorities introduced a case earlier than the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice in The Hague in Might, accusing the UAE of complicity in genocide for its position in supporting the RSF. The UAE has categorically denied supporting the RSF. The case was dismissed because the UAE has not signed Article 9 of the Genocide Conference.
Each side of the battle have been accused of warfare crimes, and the RSF has been accused of ethnic cleaning in sure areas, together with round Darfur. The UN says greater than 24,000 folks have been killed since preventing started in 2023 following a peaceable rebellion by civilians towards dictator Omar al-Bashir. Greater than 11 million folks have reportedly been displaced.
Whereas there may be detailed reporting on routes between the UAE and Sudan’s neighbouring international locations, together with Chad, getting used for weapons transfers, particular particulars about how the Kenyan ammunition crates ended up within the nation stay scarce.
How Do We Know the Ammunition Crates Have been within the Neighborhood of Khartoum?
On Might 19, after weeks of reported intense preventing with the RSF, SAF troopers and allied forces posted video clips claiming they have been contained in the Salha space in southern Omdurman, positioned throughout the Nile from Khartoum.
Bellingcat and Day by day Nation have recognized three movies containing Kenyan MOD-labelled ammunition crates allegedly left behind by the RSF inside an unknown depot almost certainly in Salha.
Utilizing social media, we recognized troopers seen within the depot subsequent to the ammunition: A Main from the SAF’s Normal Intelligence Service (GIS) and at the very least one different younger Sudanese soldier. Each seem to have been within the depot throughout the identical time the operation in Salha was going down.
Video 1, Video 2 and Video 3 present troopers rummaging via a number of rooms containing crates and speaking concerning the armour allegedly left behind by the RSF. Images of the identical sort of crates with the identical label from the Kenyan MOD had been circulating on social media for a while earlier this yr. However it had been tough to geolocate inside Sudan earlier than these newer movies emerged.
In video 3, the speaker mentions the ammunition discovery and repeats ‘Salha’, the situation, a number of occasions.
In video 1, an Arabic speaker may be heard saying: “However I swear to God, you possibly can’t combat once more and also you gained’t defeat us, is that this the work (gear) you allow?”
Video 1 reveals a person contained in the depot sporting a fatigued t-shirt, glasses and white Tasbih prayer beads. We discovered additional footage displaying what seems to be the identical man sporting the identical garments and equipment. Parts within the background inform us that the video was certainly filmed in Salha, Omdurman, alongside the principle highway (15.5479, 32.4273).
We recognized the soldier above as a Main (Ra’id) from the SAF’s Normal Intelligence Service, as indicated by his uniform insignias and patches seen in one other video circulating on Might 20. His title seems to be Al-Makki Abdul Quddus Ahmed.
Equally, in one other video filmed approx 150m from Main Al-Makki, right here (15.546947, 32.427022), we recognized a second man seen within the ammunition depot movies. In each movies, he’s seen sporting the identical garments with a small Sudanese flag on his left shoulder.
All of the movies analysed have been posted between Might 19 and Might 21. We geolocated the troopers in a market space of southern Omdurman’s Salha district. That is in step with the Sudanese Armed Forces retaking town. Aljazeera reported that SAF had regained full management of the realm by Might 20.
Though we have been unable to substantiate the precise location of the depot, corroborating the presence of troopers within the Salha space, together with open supply data, strongly signifies that the depot is certainly positioned within the Salha neighbourhood of Omdurman.
From Sudan to the World: Worldwide Connections of the Weapons Crates
We in contrast the labels of the crates positioned close to the Khartoum depot with different photos of Kenyan munition crates circulating on-line, reportedly additionally from Sudan. On the labels, we will see English wording that features the title of the product, contract quantity, batch quantity, amount, quantity, case quantity and whole case quantity.
To be clear, though the crates are labelled with contractual and technical data, we aren’t capable of say with certainty the origin or producer of the munitions. Nevertheless, there are vital particulars to focus on.
Bellingcat and our companions at Day by day Nation shared photos of the crates with three impartial armament specialists. All confirmed that the markings indicated the ammunition crates have been a part of the identical contract (No. 23PTI) and have been delivered to the Kenyan Ministry of Defence (KEMOD-01).
Australian-based Armament Analysis Providers (ARES) informed us: “The markings on this crate are in step with different crates we now have seen that we imagine to be delivered on a Kenyan contract.”
Upon inspecting the photographs, the weapons specialists additionally informed us that most of the crates point out supply throughout or after 2024 – when the civil warfare in Sudan was effectively underway.
Former Royal Artillery Military officer and director of Chiron Assets, Chris Cobb-Smith mentioned: “The batch quantity suggests they have been packed in 2024 – supply date to Kenya would most likely have been the identical yr. When delivered to Sudan shouldn’t be identified.”
All three specialists agreed that the kind of ammunition indicated on the labels was 57 calibre (14.5×114mm) armour-piercing incendiary (API) cartridges.
Cobb mentioned that 14.5×114mm (.57 calibre) is a heavy machine gun and anti-material rifle cartridge utilized by the Soviet Union, the previous Warsaw Pact states, trendy Russia, and different international locations.
Though not specified on the crates, Cobb added that this kind of cartridge has been manufactured in Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, and the previous Czechoslovakia.
One of many movies we discovered with these crates inside a depot in Salha, Omdurman, confirmed cans contained in the crates and at the very least one open can subsequent to the crates had seen ammunition in step with the specs on the label. The ammunition seen seems to have a inexperienced case and what seems to be an ordinary black-tip.
We have been additionally capable of determine two extra inexperienced crates seen in a video displaying the Salha depot. The label seems to point the containers seemingly comprise (or at the very least contained) an explosive with the specification “82mm HE Mortar Bomb Kind PP87”.
In line with weapons specialists, the markings on the crate recommend the field and its contents have been seemingly initially delivered to Kenyan authorities beneath contract AMI/KEN/099/2023.
Director of Chiron Assets, Chris Cobb-Smith informed Bellingcat that the contract quantity on these crates signifies the Kenyan MOD bought mortar bombs from China in 2023. He added that it will be inconceivable to say whether or not they have been instantly diverted or not.
Human Rights Watch reported in 2024 that RSF seemed to be utilizing this Chinese language-made mortar ammunition. This video reveals a person in RSF camouflage and one other in civilian garments unpacking 82mm HE Mortar Bomb Kind PP87. HRW was unable to confirm RSF claims that it captured this new mortar munition from the SAF. Amnesty Worldwide has additionally reported the usage of this weapon in Sudan.
We additionally discovered one other pattern of those bombs amongst different SAF-captured ammo displayed in early Might in Khartoum. The Chinese language-made bomb was photographed subsequent to a different Kenyan labelled crate stating it contained 7.62mm SMG (submachine weapons or self-loaded rifles) TYPE CS/LR11- bought by the middleman China Jing An Import & Export Company (CJAIE).
There have been a number of studies figuring out Chinese language-made weapons within the arms of the RSF. In April, China’s cost d’affaires in Port Sudan was summoned by the Sudanese authorities over the RSF’s use of Chinese language-made drones. China has harassed they’ve “nothing to do with the presence of those drones and has no reference to the RSF”. Earlier this month Sudanese media outlet Ayin used open sources to determine Chinese language-made weapons within the fingers of RSF fighters.
Chadian Labelled Crates
In a separate alleged seize of weapons and ammunition displayed by the SAF on the Engineering Corps constructing in Omdurman (15.609734, 32.480369), related crates have been seen however with the stencil label eliminated.
Subsequent to the crates, a inexperienced field is seen with a stencil label that seems to learn:
“Course Générale de la réserve Stratégique de la Présidence … République du Tchad”: Normal Directorate of Strategic Reserves (DGRS) of the Presidency… Republic of Chad.
The label on this field signifies a unique designation “73-DTG02”. In line with the Collective Consciousness to Unexploded Ordnance (CAT-UXO), this designation is believed to be a Chinese language 73mm Excessive-Explosive-Twin-Objective (HEDP), Excessive-Explosive-Anti-Tank (HEAT) with Anti-Personnel (AP) HE-Frag, fin-stabilised Rocket.
The UAE has been accused of supplying Sudan’s RSF through a Chad airstrip. Dozens of flights from the UAE seem to have used an airstrip at Amdjarass in jap Chad because the warfare started in April 2023.
Weapons Proceed to Gas Struggling
The invention of the Kenyan-labelled munitions crates is additional proof of Kenya’s political and logistical help to the RSF, Justin Lynch, Managing Director of Battle Insights Group and Sudan researcher, informed Bellingcat.
He mentioned the UAE has used Kenya and different African states as a political and logistical hub to help the Speedy Help Forces.
“It appears hardly a coincidence that RSF public conferences in Nairobi have been instantly adopted by a $1.5 billion mortgage from the UAE and a surge in suspicious UAE-to-RSF shipments transiting via Kenya,” Lynch mentioned.
Kenya is reported to attract down subsequent week the primary portion of $500 million from the $1.5 billion United Arab Emirates (UAE) – backed industrial mortgage.
Regardless of shedding management of the beating coronary heart of the nation, the RSF nonetheless guidelines enormous swathes of Sudan together with Darfur within the nation’s southwest the place violence is inflicting one of many world’s worst humanitarian crises, based on the UN.
So long as the battle continues, questions on who’s offering weapons and help to the warring sides will stay.
This text has been up to date to mirror new data.
Bellingcat want to thank our companions on the Day by day Nation Forensics Unit for collaborating on this investigation.
Pooja Chaudhuri, Youri van der Weide and Jake Godin contributed to this report.
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