Columbian Mercenaries with Alleged UAE Links Fighting Alongside RSF in Sudan

At least 300 Colombian ex-soldiers have reportedly been recruited to fight in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, according to a November 26, 2024, investigation by Colombian news site La Silla Vacía. The soldiers were allegedly drawn into the war through a cross-border operation spanning Colombia, the UAE, Libya, and Sudan, facilitated by private security firms with significant backing from the UAE.

The soldiers were recruited under false pretenses by the Colombian company International Services Agency A4SI, which promised them assignments to secure oil infrastructure in the UAE. Instead, they were transported to Libya via Dubai or Abu Dhabi and handed over to representatives of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). From Benghazi, the mercenaries were covertly transported across the desert into Sudan over eight days.

In Sudan, they joined operations around El Fasher, North Darfur, where three Colombians were killed during shelling in October. Families of the deceased confirmed the deaths, reporting heavy casualties. Audio recordings reveal that soldiers were misled about their assignments, and some fear execution if they refuse to fight alongside the RSF.

Evidence points to the UAE’s involvement, with Sudanese authorities, UN monitors, and activists accusing it of fueling the conflict. Sudan’s UN envoy alleged UAE complicity during an April 2024 Security Council meeting, citing arms supplies to the RSF. The UAE denies involvement after April 15, 2023, though it admits supplying weapons earlier.

Contracts offered to Colombian soldiers promised salaries of $2,600 for regular troops and $3,400 for non-commissioned officers. These agreements, facilitated by the UAE’s Global Security Services Group, reportedly aim to deploy up to 1,800 Colombian soldiers in Sudan. This mirrors a 2020 operation involving Sudanese recruits sent to Libya by the UAE-based Black Shield Security Services under false pretenses.

Videos on social media show Sudan’s Joint Forces, aligned with the Sudanese Armed Forces, displaying ID cards allegedly belonging to captured Colombian mercenaries. The operation highlights the internationalization of Sudan’s war and raises questions about private security firms’ roles and the UAE’s geopolitical strategy in supporting the RSF.

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