Sudan

Sudan Accuses UAE of Hiring Colombian Mercenaries in Civil War

AUG 6 2025·Updated AUG 7 2025

Story

Above: A Sudanese army patrol in Khartoum North on Nov. 3, 2024. Image credit: AMAURY FALT-BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Sudan has formally accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of sponsoring and financing Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
The New Arab
The Defense Post
In a statement issued on Monday, Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed there was "irrefutable evidence" of the UAE's involvement, which it forwarded to the United Nations via Sudan's permanent mission to the U.N.
Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombian fighters were spotted allegedly inside Darfur's Zamzam refugee camp, which houses hundreds of thousands displaced by Sudan's civil war and was found to be experiencing famine conditions last year.
The Telegraph
France 24
The Joint Forces coalition, an SAF-aligned militia, also reported engaging more than 80 Colombian mercenaries in El-Fasher, the last army-controlled state capital in Darfur, alongside hired soldiers from South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
Joint Force of the Armed Struggle Movements
The Defense Post
The New Arab
U.N. experts monitoring the arms embargo on Darfur have additionally described the claims of Colombian mercenaries fighting for the RSF as credible, with retired Colombian soldiers and former guerrillas previously being recruited for conflicts around the world.
DAWN.COM
The New Arab
The UAE firmly rejected Sudan's allegations in a press release on Tuesday, stating that they were baseless and lacked evidence, while emphasizing the International Court of Justice's ruling that dismissed Sudan's legal proceedings against the UAE.
United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

There is irrefutable evidence that the UAE is dangerously escalating the war in Sudan by hiring Colombian mercenaries to support the rebel RSF. By bringing foreign fighters to Sudan, the UAE risks transforming this conflict into a transnational proxy war that would threaten the entire region. Sudan will bring these crimes to the U.N.'s attention to preserve wider stability.

Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Narrative B

These allegations are a desperate attempt by the Port Sudan Authority to deflect responsibility for prolonging a devastating civil war. Similar claims, designed to derail peace efforts, have already been dismissed by international courts for lacking credible evidence. Nevertheless, the UAE remains committed to supporting a peaceful and lasting resolution to the conflict.

United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs