Analyzing Middle East Eye's Investigation: Russia, the UAE and Sudan's stolen gold
Middle East Eye's documentary, “Russia, the UAE and Sudan's stolen gold,” offers a comprehensive analysis of how the UAE and Russia have systematically reshaped Africa and the Middle East through proxy warfare and resource extraction. The film, released as part of the "Big Picture" series in May 2025, details the intricate networks Abu Dhabi and Moscow use to build influence. It shows how the UAE's "axis of secessionists" and Russia's Wagner Group have created parallel, complementary systems of control. Watch the full documentary on YouTube.
The UAE's Counter-Revolutionary Network
The documentary's central thesis is the UAE's construction of an "axis of secessionists," a deliberate counter to Iran's "axis of resistance." Abu Dhabi has cultivated a multilayered network of non-state actors, financiers, traders, political figureheads, and influencers to create strategic bridgeheads in countries vital to Emirati interests. This network works under a counter-revolutionary banner, suppressing post-Arab Spring movements and supporting authoritarian strongmen.
The UAE's approach is a sophisticated form of statecraft delegation, necessary for a small monarchy with limited population. As its ambitions expanded after the Arab Spring, Abu Dhabi needed ways to project influence overseas with a minimal footprint. This strategy has appeared in many conflict zones, from Libya to Sudan, creating what analysts call a "spider's web" of influence.
Paradoxically, the UAE's pursuit of stability through strongman support has often destabilized governments and undermined sovereignty. The use of armed proxies, by nature, challenges state authority and territorial integrity. The documentary documents this pattern across several theaters, showing a systematic—not opportunistic—approach to intervention. A key element is the UAE's transformation into a global hub for gold trading and laundering, which underpins much of its regional influence.
Russia's Resource Extraction Empire
Russia's parallel empire-building strategy centers on systematic resource extraction via Wagner Group operations across Africa. The documentary reveals Wagner has generated over $2.5 billion from illicit gold mining since 2022, using these funds to circumvent sanctions and finance military operations. This "blood gold" trade is one of the largest sanctions evasion schemes documented.
The Wagner model combines military services with economic extraction, creating self-sustaining operations in several African countries. In the Central African Republic, Wagner controls the Ndassima gold mine, producing an estimated $290 million annually. In Mali, the group receives a monthly retainer and exploits gold mining. This model displaces local miners, often through violence, funneling profits to the Russian state.
Russia's dual-sided approach supports multiple factions to maximize leverage. In Sudan, Wagner has facilitated arms to the Rapid Support Forces while maintaining official ties with the Sudanese Armed Forces. This hedging makes Moscow indispensable to conflict resolution while extracting economic benefit. For more on gold flows and compliance, see Gold Inventory Auditing: Best Compliance & Risk Management.
Key Conflict Theaters and Strategic Convergence
Sudan: The Convergence Point
Sudan is the main convergence point for UAE and Russian strategies. The UAE has provided extensive support to the RSF, including Chinese weaponry re-exported through Emirati channels in violation of UN embargos. Amnesty International identified advanced Chinese arms in RSF hands, almost certainly supplied by the UAE.
At the same time, Wagner operatives have facilitated these arms transfers and established control over Sudan's gold market. Nearly $2 billion in gold is smuggled out of Sudan each year, a massive loss for the Sudanese economy and a major revenue stream for Russia. This UAE-Russia convergence has prolonged Sudan's civil war, creating what the UN calls the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe. The ongoing gold smuggling and illicit finance networks in Sudan are closely linked to the intrinsic relationship between gold and Hawala, a centuries-old informal value transfer system.
Libya: The Strategic Laboratory
Libya is the documentary's main case study for UAE-Russia cooperation. Both powers have supported Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, with the UAE providing air support and Wagner mercenaries supplying ground expertise. The BBC's investigation revealed the scale of Wagner's involvement, including evidence of war crimes and executions.
The Libya case shows the UAE's method of building "bridgeheads" for continental security. Military bases for the LNA became hubs for fighters and resources to flow to other conflicts, creating a "carousel of guns for hire." Russian participation, especially after Wagner's 2019 entry, provided crucial airlift and logistics for seamless movement across theaters.
Central African Republic: Resource Extraction Model
The Central African Republic is a prime example of Russia's resource extraction empire. Since 2018, Wagner has seized control of gold and diamond mines, displacing local miners through violence. Testimony from displaced miners shows repeated forced relocations as Wagner expands control. These developments highlight the importance of Basel III compliance and gold's impact on banking capital requirements for countries seeking financial stability amid illicit flows.
The human cost is severe. Local miners report executions by Russian paramilitaries during operations to seize mines, a pattern repeated across the country and enabling Wagner's economic exploitation.
Financial Architecture and Sanctions Evasion
The documentary details the financial mechanisms sustaining UAE and Russian operations. Wagner's African activities generate over $100 million monthly, funding Russian military efforts. This revenue stream is resilient to sanctions, operating through complex smuggling and opaque jurisdictions.
The UAE's role goes beyond direct military support, including sanctions evasion for Russian entities. The UAE exported 15 times more microchips to Russia in 2022 than the previous year and at least 158 drones, enabling Russia to maintain military capabilities despite sanctions.
This evasion is now systematic. UAE-based companies provide airlift, logistics, and financial services to move weapons, fighters, and resources across conflict zones, giving both powers plausible deniability while maintaining effectiveness.
Broader Geopolitical Implications
The documentary places these operations amid broader shifts in global power, especially reduced US engagement in the Middle East and Africa. The UAE and Russia fill the vacuum, offering "regime survival packages" for access to resources and territory.
This opportunistic expansion has fueled instability and state collapse across the Sahel and Horn of Africa. The UAE-Russia partnership is an "alliance of convenience," not a long-term strategic alignment. As their spheres of influence expand, their interests may clash, as seen in Syria where both back different factions.
Source Analysis and Methodological Considerations
Middle East Eye, based in London, focuses on bringing local Middle Eastern perspectives to a global audience. The outlet is rated "left-center" and "mostly factual" by media bias trackers. The documentary relies on investigative reporting, expert interviews, and document analysis, using UN reports and academic research as evidence.
The analysis reflects MEE's editorial stance, often critical of Gulf monarchies and supportive of post-Arab Spring movements. This perspective is clear in the framing of UAE operations as destabilizing, a view not shared by all. Readers should consider this context when evaluating the documentary's conclusions.
Conclusion: Empire Building in the Modern Era
The Middle East Eye investigation documents how a small Gulf monarchy and a declining global power have adapted traditional empire-building to today's realities. The UAE's "axis of secessionists" and Russia's resource extraction empire are new models for projecting power amid reduced Western engagement.
The film's main contribution is its documentation of the financial and logistical networks sustaining these operations. By connecting local conflicts to broader imperial competition, it shows how wars become part of global power struggles.
The human cost is immense, raising questions about the world's ability to respond to new forms of imperial expansion. Traditional diplomacy and sanctions seem ill-equipped to tackle these privatized, networked empires. Understanding these systems is a crucial first step toward better responses to their destabilizing effects across Africa and the Middle East.
Further Reading
- For a comprehensive profile of Wagner Group activities and their global impact, see the Wagner Group profile at ACLED.
- For best practices in gold inventory auditing and compliance, visit Gold Inventory Auditing: Best Compliance & Risk Management.
- For insight on Basel III and gold's impact on banking, see Basel III & Gold Banking Capital Requirements.
- For more on gold and informal value transfer, see The Intrinsic Link Between Gold and Hawala.
