" European weapons in Sudan (5/5): Europeans still making deals with Emirati firm diverting weapons" 21 April 2025

An investigation by the FRANCE 24 Observers team shows how a number of French and European companies continue to make deals with International Golden Group (IGG) and Edge Group despite these Emirati companies' involvement in diverting weapons. Through videos and exclusive access to documents, the FRANCE 24 Observers team was able to reveal that mortar shells found in the Sudanese desert were manufactured by the Bulgarian company Dunarit, and then sold on to the Emirati firm International Golden Group, known for diverting weapons to countries under international embargo. The munitions ended up in Libya and finally Sudan as part of a convoy that included Colombian mercenaries. Similar weapons are regularly used to bomb Sudanese civilians. [...]

Just before it was acquired by the Edge group, International Golden Group signed a series of partnerships, including with French companies. 

In February 2023, the Emirati company launched a joint venture with French defence specialist Safran. The venture, according to Safran, would focus on developments within the fields of optronics and navigation to “meet the needs of the United Arab Emirates MOD [Ministry of Defence] and the needs of other regional organisations.” [...]

Next in line to sign a deal with International Golden Group was Nexter, now KNDS France, which is 50 percent owned by the French government and is the manufacturer of the Leclerc tank. In February 2023, the group stated that the aim was to modernise the Emirati army’s Leclerc tanks to “ensure [their] operational superiority for the next 30 years." KNDS France also attended this year’s IDEX expo.  [...] And French companies weren’t the only major European defence groups lining up to sign deals with International Golden Group or its new parent company, Edge group — as was made clear at the 2025 edition of the IDEX salon, held in Abu Dhabi between February 17 and 21. Among them are the Spanish company Indra and the Italian group Leonardo, both of which have signed agreements with the Edge Group. Edge Group was even listed as a “strategic partner” for the defense expo, according to its site. [...]

International Golden Group’s parent company, the Edge Group, manufactures the armoured personnel carrier models that were equipped with French defence systems, designed and exported by the French companies KNDS France and Lacroix Defense. 

The research team contacted Lacroix Defense to ask them about Amnesty International’s investigation. Lacroix confirmed to us that they had “supplied Galix self-defence systems to the Emirati Armed Forces.” 

“These deliveries were carried out respecting the export licences granted to Lacroix and associated non-re-export certificates,” the group said.  Lacroix Defense also wanted to emphasise that Galix is a “passive self-protection solution”, not an offensive tool. Though we asked, the company did not tell us if the Emiratis had sought authorisation to export these systems to Sudan.  When we asked KNDS France they replied that they “are not the exporter and only carried out a sale in France to Lacroix [...]. For this reason, KNDS France does not know the end user while the order is taking place and being carried out.”