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Leaked UN report ‘establishes conclusively’ that UAE hired Colombian mercenaries for Sudan’s RSF
A confidential UN investigators’ report says it “establishes conclusively” that the UAE hired Colombian mercenaries to fight for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The findings matter because they detail alleged foreign support for the RSF, which has been accused of grave abuses, and come as senior Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh campaigns to become the UN’s next secretary-general.
The report says UAE-based Global Security Services Group moved the mercenaries through Libya, Somalia and Chad, with training in the UAE and at a UAE-linked base in Bosaso, Somalia. It says they provided drone, artillery and infantry support in Darfur, including during the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher after a siege lasting more than 500 days. The UAE and other entities named deny wrongdoing; the UAE says it rejects allegations concerning the Sudan conflict.
In short
- UN investigators link UAE-backed routes to Colombian fighters in Sudan.
- Report says mercenaries supported the RSF’s capture of el-Fasher.
- UAE denies wrongdoing as its diplomat seeks the UN’s top job.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If the report’s findings are sound, the alleged recruitment and deployment of Colombian fighters would show that the UAE helped the RSF sustain its campaign, including the assault on el-Fasher. Such support would raise serious concerns about foreign involvement in a conflict marked by grave abuses, and the public has a strong interest in scrutiny and accountability.
The case against
The UAE and other named entities deny wrongdoing, and the allegations should not be treated as proven solely because they appear in a leaked report, even one described as conclusive by investigators. A fair assessment should examine the underlying evidence, the named parties’ responses and the report’s methods before assigning responsibility, particularly given the serious consequences of the claims.
Explained simply
Sudan’s war began in 2023 between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, a powerful paramilitary group. The fighting has devastated the country, especially Darfur in the west, where the RSF has been accused of serious abuses.
The United Arab Emirates is a Gulf state whose government has denied supporting the RSF. The Colombian men named in the report are former soldiers, and the UAE-based firm cited is a private security company; the report describes routes through several African countries.
Foreign support matters because it can affect the balance of the war and the risks to civilians. The allegations also draw attention to the UN, which investigates the conflict and is preparing to choose its next secretary-general.
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