A network of Colombian mercenaries backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) provided critical support to Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), enabling it to capture the western city of el-Fasher last year. The investigation, by the Conflict Insights Group (CIG), utilized data obtained from tracking the mobile phones of these Colombian fighters. The UAE has long denied supporting the RSF, which has been engaged in conflict against Sudan's regular army for three years.
The fall of el-Fasher was one of the most brutal developments in an ongoing conflict that has resulted in a humanitarian disaster, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced. The CIG has gathered extensive evidence of military support from the UAE, marking this as the first concrete proof of UAE involvement with certainty.
The report outlines that over 50 mobile phones of Colombian mercenaries were tracked in Sudan between April 2025 and January this year, displaying their movements and their participation in RSF operations, including drone strikes. One segment of the report highlights how mercenaries were active in command roles and were equipped with drones leading to atrocities recognized as war crimes.
The mercenaries reportedly operated under the Desert Wolves brigade, a unit linked to former Colombian military personnel, which has raised serious ethical concerns and highlights an alarming trend of employing foreign fighters in domestic conflicts.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the mercenaries, labeling their presence as a 'specter of death' and associating their recruitment with human trafficking. Meanwhile, the UAE continues to dismiss allegations of its support for the RSF, even as analysts acknowledge the significant foreign backing that has sustained the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
The fall of el-Fasher was one of the most brutal developments in an ongoing conflict that has resulted in a humanitarian disaster, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced. The CIG has gathered extensive evidence of military support from the UAE, marking this as the first concrete proof of UAE involvement with certainty.
The report outlines that over 50 mobile phones of Colombian mercenaries were tracked in Sudan between April 2025 and January this year, displaying their movements and their participation in RSF operations, including drone strikes. One segment of the report highlights how mercenaries were active in command roles and were equipped with drones leading to atrocities recognized as war crimes.
The mercenaries reportedly operated under the Desert Wolves brigade, a unit linked to former Colombian military personnel, which has raised serious ethical concerns and highlights an alarming trend of employing foreign fighters in domestic conflicts.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the mercenaries, labeling their presence as a 'specter of death' and associating their recruitment with human trafficking. Meanwhile, the UAE continues to dismiss allegations of its support for the RSF, even as analysts acknowledge the significant foreign backing that has sustained the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
