Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of recruiting and training Colombian mercenaries to support the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, which has been implicated in war crimes during the Sudanese civil war. According to HRW's investigation, these mercenaries transited through Emirati military bases before being deployed to Sudan.
Key Takeaways
Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleges that the UAE recruited and trained Colombian mercenaries to support Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been accused of war crimes. The UAE denies these claims, stating it does not permit its territory for such activities. Farmers in Sudan face severe challenges due to rising fuel and fertilizer costs exacerbated by the Iran conflict, compounding issues from the ongoing civil war.
The UAE vehemently denies these allegations, stating that it does not permit its territory to be used for recruiting, training, financing, or transit of foreign fighters to any conflict, including Sudan. The HRW report is based on interviews with Colombian mercenaries and an analysis of social media posts identifying key locations and weapons.
The civil war in Sudan, which began on April 15, 2023, has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and displaced more than 12.9 million people. The conflict is between the paramilitary RSF forces and the Sudanese army. HRW's report follows last month's research by the Conflict Insights Group (CIG), which also highlighted the alleged involvement of Colombian mercenaries in Darfur, Sudan's western region largely controlled by the RSF.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has described the mercenaries as "spectres of death" and their recruitment as a form of human trafficking. HRW alleges that airports in the UAE, Libya, Chad, and Somalia were used as transit points for these mercenaries before they traveled to the frontlines in Darfur. The report also claims that an Abu Dhabi-based company recruited Colombian contractors who were deployed to Sudan to provide tactical and technical expertise to the RSF.
The HRW investigation points to a complex network of Colombian and Emirati companies advertising "drone pilot work in Africa" targeting former Colombian army personnel. The mercenaries were reportedly trained in UAE military facilities before being covertly deployed to war zones in Sudan, where they allegedly participated in gross human rights violations, including mass extrajudicial killings, rape, sexual slavery, looting, and destruction of civilian infrastructure.
The RSF has faced international outrage following its violent capture of the city of El Fasher last year. The United Nations Human Rights Office estimates that over 6,000 people were killed within the first three days of the RSF offensive. HRW's report includes testimonies from survivors who reported seeing foreign fighters alongside RSF forces during mass killings.
The UAE has stated that allegations involving Emirati companies supporting the RSF have been investigated and found to be without merit. The country remains committed to working with its partners to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people by securing a lasting ceasefire and helping create an inclusive, Sudanese-owned transition to an independent civilian-led government.
The US imposed sanctions in December 2025 on a network primarily of Colombian nationality for recruiting former Colombian soldiers and training them to fight in Sudan. The HRW report calls for the UN, African Union, and the UK and US governments to speak out about the UAE's alleged involvement in the war in Sudan.
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