Khartoum – Sudan Now
Human Rights Watch accused the United Arab Emirates of supporting the Rapid Support Forces by recruiting and deploying Colombian military contractors to fight in Sudan, describing the allegations as further evidence of Abu Dhabi’s involvement in the conflict.
In a report released on Monday titled “From Bogota to El Fasher,” the organization said an Abu Dhabi-based security company identified as Global Security Services Group had recruited hundreds of Colombian contractors since 2024 and sent them to Sudan to support RSF operations against the Sudanese army.
The report comes amid mounting international scrutiny over foreign involvement in Sudan’s war, following earlier allegations of cross-border arms flows and the movement of foreign fighters through neighboring countries. The UAE has repeatedly denied providing military support to the RSF, saying its role in Sudan is limited to humanitarian assistance.
Human Rights Watch said it documented the movement of contractors through Emirati military facilities in Ghiyathi and Al-Wathba before they were transferred to Sudan.
The organization added that some contractors appeared in videos recorded in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, during battles that took place in the city in 2025.
According to the report, foreign fighters were seen alongside RSF forces during attacks on El Fasher, where the organization said civilians were subjected to killings, sexual violence and other abuses. A United Nations fact-finding mission has previously said some violations committed in Darfur bore “hallmarks of genocide.”
Human Rights Watch said it conducted interviews with former Colombian contractors, military sources and witnesses from El Fasher, in addition to reviewing images and videos that it said linked the contractors to Sudan and to training activities inside UAE facilities.
The report also referred to weapons and ammunition allegedly linked to UAE military stockpiles, including Bulgarian-made mortar shells, while adding that some contractors said they had trained RSF fighters, including child recruits.
Rights organizations and Sudanese political groups have repeatedly accused the UAE of providing political, military and logistical support to the RSF since the outbreak of war in April 2023, allegations the Emirati government has consistently denied.
Human Rights Watch called on the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the African Union to investigate what it described as military support provided to the RSF and impose sanctions on individuals and entities involved in supplying arms or military assistance to abusive parties in Sudan.
