A new investigative report has alleged that a network of Colombian mercenaries, backed by the United Arab Emirates, played a key role in supporting Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during its capture of the western city of El-Fasher last year.
The findings, published by the Conflict Insights Group (CIG), are based on extensive tracking of mobile phone data linked to more than 50 Colombian fighters operating in Sudan between April 2025 and January 2026.
According to CIG director Justin Lynch, the report provides the clearest evidence to date of Emirati involvement in the conflict. “This is the first research where we can prove UAE involvement with certainty,” he said, adding that the findings reveal a “direct link between Abu Dhabi and the RSF.”
The UAE has consistently denied backing the RSF, which has been locked in a prolonged conflict with Sudan’s national army for the past three years. The war has triggered what aid agencies describe as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, leaving tens of thousands dead and displacing millions.
CIG investigators used a combination of mobile tracking data, satellite imagery, flight records, and open-source intelligence to map the movements of the mercenaries. The report claims the fighters travelled through a UAE military facility in Ghayathi, Abu Dhabi, before deploying to RSF-controlled مناطق such as Nyala in South Darfur.
Devices linked to the mercenaries reportedly connected to Wi-Fi networks with Spanish names such as “ANTIAEREO” (anti-aircraft) and “ATACADOR” (attacker), indicating their involvement in drone and combat operations. The report says these drone العمليات were crucial to the RSF’s العسكري campaign, particularly during the 18-month siege and eventual capture of El-Fasher.
The fall of El-Fasher was marked by widespread atrocities. Investigators from the International Criminal Court and the United Nations have described the ঘটনাগুলো as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, with some evidence pointing to acts bearing the hallmarks of genocide.
The report also links the mercenaries to a unit known as the “Desert Wolves” brigade, allegedly led by retired Colombian army officer Alvaro Quijano. He is reported to be based in the UAE and has been sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom for recruiting fighters to join the Sudan যুদ্ধ.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro previously condemned the recruitment of such fighters, describing them as “spectres of death” and calling the practice a form of human trafficking.
While the US Treasury Department has acknowledged that Colombian fighters supported the RSF’s العمليات in Darfur, it has not formally confirmed a direct connection between the UAE and the paramilitary group.
The UAE government has yet to respond to the latest allegations but has previously dismissed similar claims as “false and unfounded,” while condemning atrocities committed in El-Fasher.
Analysts say foreign backing for both sides has significantly prolonged and intensified Sudan’s civil war, raising concerns over further escalation and accountability for alleged war crimes.