Sudan Says UAE Bankrolled Colombian Mercenaries for RSF; Abu Dhabi Denies

Sudan’s foreign ministry said on 4 August it has submitted documents to the UN Security Council that it claims prove the United Arab Emirates financed the recruitment and deployment of Colombian and other foreign fighters to bolster the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The ministry cited sightings of more than 80 Colombians fighting alongside the RSF around Al-Fashir, the last Darfur state capital still held by the Sudanese army, and said several of the mercenaries had been killed in recent clashes. Abu Dhabi issued a statement on 5 August rejecting what it called “baseless” allegations from “the Port Sudan authorities”, asserting that the claims lack evidence and are aimed at deflecting blame for prolonging Sudan’s civil war. The UAE reiterated its support for an internationally brokered cease-fire and a civilian-led political process. UN expert monitors have previously described reports of Colombian fighters in Darfur as credible, and Sudan said Colombia’s foreign ministry expressed regret last December over the involvement of its nationals. Foreign combatants have appeared on both sides of Sudan’s conflict, which since April 2023 has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.