With irrefutable evidence, VISTA’s most damning documentary report exposes the involvement of the UAE’s STREIT GROUP in supporting the Rapid Support Forces militia in Sudan:

The Citizen

Introduction:

▪︎ The SPARTAN 2-MAV armored vehicle is one of the most prominent products of the UAE’s STREIT GROUP, one of the largest companies specializing in the manufacture of armored vehicles in the region.

▪︎ The evidence we will present indicates that this company played a direct role in supplying the terrorist Rapid Support Forces militia with armored vehicles that contributed to turning the tide of the battle in Darfur, particularly in El Fasher during the second half of 2015.

▪︎ This report reviews the company’s background, its legal record, and its relationship with the UAE, in addition to documenting the role of its armored vehicles in the fall of El Fasher.

Company – Origins and Legal Background:

Founded in 1992 by businessman German Gortov, the company is headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

▪︎ The group owns more than 12 production plants and 25 offices worldwide, with a production capacity of up to 500 armored vehicles per month.

▪︎ News: In 2015, the US government fined the company $3.5 million after finding it guilty of providing false information and illegally exporting armored vehicles to other countries.

▪︎ News: In 2016, Canadian authorities opened an investigation against the company for supplying 30 Typhoon vehicles to Sudan through its UAE branch. These vehicles later appeared in Darfur.

▪︎ In 2025, the company supplied armored vehicles to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in Sudan, which, along with other factors, contributed to the city’s rapid fall.

Relationship with the UAE:

▪︎ The company states that its headquarters are in Ras Al Khaimah, with branches in other countries.

▪︎ We believe that the UAE was chosen as its primary headquarters to avoid strict international restrictions on arms and military equipment exports and legal accountability.

▪︎ The UAE, whose defense portfolio is managed by the Minister of Defense and Crown Prince of Dubai, Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, alongside Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, operates in an environment that permits the activities of military companies as long as they serve the state’s political and economic interests, such as supporting the Rapid Support Forces militia in exchange for control over Sudan and its resources, regardless of the consequences for the Sudanese people.

▪︎ The “Street Group’s” business practices demonstrate that it benefits from the legal and political immunity granted to the UAE by the international community, which in turn extends some of this immunity to companies operating in the arms sector, as long as they support its terrorist project in Sudan.

▪︎ The SPARTAN 2-MAV Armored Vehicle:

▪︎ This armored vehicle belongs to the category of multi-purpose tactical vehicles (4×4). ▪︎ It is available in two models that differ in the number of side windows (4 or 5 on each side) depending on the number of passengers.

▪︎ It features medium to heavy armor capable of withstanding 7.62 mm rounds and shrapnel, and is typically used for troop transport and urban assault.

▪︎ These armored vehicles have been showcased at defense exhibitions within the UAE, reinforcing their direct connection to the Emirati defense market.

Its involvement in the Sudanese war:

▪︎ Since July 2025, the UAE, through the company Streat Group, has been sending shipments of SPARTAN 2-MAV armored vehicles to the Rapid Support Forces militia, camouflaged in colors and with high precision to match the militia’s camouflage (green with black stars).

▪︎ The shipment passed from the UAE to Libya before entering Sudan via the usual desert route for transporting equipment to Darfur.

▪︎ Videos surfaced showing militia members boasting about the armored vehicles during their transport. One video showed a vehicle overturning, allowing for precise identification of its type.

▪︎ These armored vehicles entered El Fasher in early August 2025 and participated in all battlefronts, enabling the militia to achieve unprecedented territorial gains.

▪︎ The armored vehicles provided significant protection for militia members during combat and contributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces’ retreat from key positions such as the Deim Silk and Nasr neighborhoods. This, along with other factors in which the UAE played a role, led to the fall of the 271st Air Defense Brigade headquarters.

▪︎ Their presence was also recorded on the southern front, where they assisted the militia in breaching the Armed Forces’ defenses in the livestock market and the Awlad al-Reef neighborhood. This later led to clashes at the Military Medical Corps gate and the fall of the 6th Infantry Division headquarters.

The following image shows photos of the armored vehicle and a historical map of El Fasher. The map indicates areas controlled by the armed forces in green, areas controlled by the militia in yellow, and the yellow areas outlined in black lines, which the armored vehicle helped the Rapid Support Forces militia seize.

This Emirati intervention led to the collapse of the city’s defense lines within two months, after they had held for a year and a half. As a result, El Fasher fell, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe in which the Rapid Support Forces militia killed approximately 7,000 people.