Human Rights Watch reports UAE transit of Colombian mercenaries to Sudan conflict

What happened

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that Colombian mercenaries were recruited by a UAE-based company and transited through Emirati military bases to back the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, who have been accused of war crimes during the ongoing civil war. The HRW investigation used interviews with mercenaries and analysis of social media to trace their deployment and operational roles.

The central claim remains unconfirmed in the supplied material and should be treated as hearsay until corroborated by another reliable source or a named official. The report alleges these mercenaries provided tactical and technical support including infantry, artillery, drone operations, and training, with movements facilitated through airports in the UAE, Libya, Chad, and Somalia before deployment primarily to the Darfur frontlines. HRW also references the presence of munitions linked to the UAE discovered in Sudan during RSF operations.

The UAE denies any involvement, asserting it does not allow recruitment, training, financing, or transit of foreign fighters on its territory and claims to have investigated allegations. The RSF has faced sharp international criticism after its 2025 capture of el-Fasher, with UN rights offices estimating over 6,000 killed in the initial days, and survivors reporting the presence of foreign combatants.

Known from the source

• Sudan's civil war began on 15 April 2023 involving RSF and Sudanese army conflict.
• Human Rights Watch investigated Colombian mercenaries recruited via UAE-based companies.
• Mercenaries reportedly transited UAE military bases without passport stamping.
• The UAE denies involvement and claims to investigate allegations.
• The RSF captured el-Fasher in 2025, causing thousands of deaths as per UN estimates.

What remains unclear

This comes amid broader regional unrest with 150,000 fatalities and over 12.9 million displaced in Sudan since April 2023. Last year, Colombia's president condemned mercenary recruitment as human trafficking. The US has imposed sanctions on a Colombian network linked to this recruitment, but definitive identification of responsibility for abuses remains legally and politically sensitive.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of HRW's claims about UAE-based recruitment and use of military bases. Confirmation of the identities and roles of Colombian mercenaries on the Sudanese frontlines. Independent confirmation of munitions' origins found in Sudan.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: BBC Africa Sudan. Open the source.