The UAE is a major player in Africa’s shadow economy, fuelling wars, backing militias, laundering money and extracting resources.
In Libya, the Gulf state played a central role in funding and arming warlord Khalifa Haftar during the country’s post-Gaddafi civil war.
In the aftermath of the collapsed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Adani takeover deal, many Kenyans breathed a sigh of relief. But new revelations by chief presidential adviser and economist David Ndii have peeled back another layer of the story, confirming that the deal was bankrolled by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE is not just a rich “friend” offering slick financing and infrastructure partnerships. It is a major player in Africa’s shadow economy, fuelling wars, backing militias, laundering money and extracting resources with a brutal disregard for human rights or regional stability.
