A sprawling, covert network of military bases, complex logistics, and weapons trafficking routes operating out of eastern Libya has been exposed as a central artery sustaining the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the ongoing war in Sudan.

A groundbreaking joint investigation by Lighthouse Reports, Evident, and Sudan War Monitor using open-source intelligence (OSINT) and on-the-ground reporting, has revealed a cryptic supply chain network from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Libya, supporting RSF operations.

Uncovering the desert pipeline

The network operates deep within territory controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Equipment enters Libya by sea through Benghazi's port and via cargo flights landing at various interior bases, including an old Gaddafi-era airbase southeast of Kufra. From there, weapons, fuel, and fighters move south toward staging areas near the Sudanese border, the joint investigation revealed. This alliance, though publicly unacknowledged, is brazenly displayed at a base in Sabha in the Fezzan region, where a sign features portraits of both Haftar and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo side by side.

Further cementing this logistical pipeline, a November 2025 investigation by The Sentry revealed that the Haftar coalition acts as a strategic fuel supplier to the RSF. The report identified Saddam Haftar, the field marshal's son, as personally directing the diversion of subsidised fuel via Kufra at the UAE's behest.

For the RSF, Libya provides a vital lifeline that Sudan cannot: a secure rear base shielded from aerial attacks, where logistics flow freely, and where foreign trainers can operate without the deadly risks and public scrutiny of Darfur.