UAE-backed Colombian mercenaries aided Sudan's RSF: BBC

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UAE-backed Colombian mercenaries aided Sudan’s RSF: CIG report – BBC

April 23, 2026

ABU DHABI,— A network of Colombian mercenaries backed by the United Arab Emirates provided key support to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, helping the group seize the western city of el-Fasher in 2025, a new investigation said, the BBC reported.

The report by the Conflict Insights Group (CIG), a security analysis organization, relied on mobile phone tracking data linked to Colombian fighters.

It said the UAE has repeatedly denied supporting the RSF, which has been at war with Sudan’s army for three years.

The capture of el-Fasher marked one of the most violent periods of the conflict, which has created what humanitarian groups describe as the world’s worst crisis, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced.

CIG director Justin Lynch said the findings are the first time researchers have established UAE involvement with certainty.

He said the data shows a direct connection between Abu Dhabi and the RSF that governments have long been aware of.

The report said mercenaries involved in drone operations moved from a UAE base into Sudan before the RSF took el-Fasher. It also said some fighters labeled Wi-Fi networks with their unit name and a company linked to the UAE.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro previously called the mercenaries “spectres of death” and described their recruitment as human trafficking.

The UAE has not responded to the latest report. It has previously rejected claims of backing the RSF and condemned abuses in el-Fasher.

CIG said it tracked more than 50 mobile devices in Sudan between April 2025 and January this year using commercial advertising data tools.

It said the phones were linked to Colombian mercenaries operating in RSF areas, including drone launch sites.

The group also used flight records, satellite images, social media footage, and academic research to support its findings.

The report described a movement path showing mercenaries passing through staging areas, including a UAE military facility in Ghayathi in Abu Dhabi.

One device traveled from Colombia to Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport and then to the facility, where other Spanish-language devices were detected.

Two phones later moved to South Darfur, while another reached Nyala, the RSF’s de facto base. There, devices connected to Wi-Fi networks named “ANTIAEREO” and “AirDefense.”

Nyala has been identified as a major hub for Colombian fighters and RSF drone activity, with more than 40 Spanish-language devices recorded, the report said.

Another case tracked a device from Colombia to Nyala and then to el-Fasher during the RSF takeover in October after an 18-month siege. While in the city, it connected to a network named “ATACADOR.”

The report said Colombian mercenaries operated within the Desert Wolves brigade as drone pilots, artillery operators, and instructors.

Some devices used Wi-Fi names referencing drones and the brigade in Spanish.

The brigade is led by retired Colombian Colonel Alvaro Quijano, based in the UAE, and sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom for recruiting fighters for Sudan, according to Colombian media reports.

CIG also identified Spanish-language devices in Somalia and Libya linked to logistics routes for weapons reaching the RSF.

The United States has sanctioned Colombian nationals recruiting fighters and said they supported the RSF in taking el-Fasher, but it has not directly linked the UAE to the operation.

(With files from BBC)