UAE Spreading Chaos in Sudan by Funding Mercenaries

The American newspaper Wall Street Journal has confirmed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is exacerbating conflict and devastation in Sudan by financing the recruitment of mercenaries, gradually turning the country’s internal strife into an international war.

According to the newspaper, at first glance, shaky mobile phone videos from the barren plains of Darfur in Sudan appear to be typical of the brutal civil war. These videos show men in camouflaged military uniforms standing next to boxes of weapons, displaying the spoils of battle.

One man is seen flipping through documents and personal belongings of newly captured prisoners, speaking in Arabic with a local Zaghawa accent. Holding a passport issued 7,000 miles away by the Colombian government, he says, “Look at this. They are not Sudanese,” adding, “These are the ones killing us.”

These videos provide clear evidence that the war in Sudan between the national army and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has become a battleground for multiple foreign powers, bringing in fighters and weapons from as far as Latin America and Europe.

Foreign Interests in Sudan’s Conflict

Several regional governments are vying for influence as the fighting intensifies. The UAE supports one side of the conflict, while Egypt backs the other, resulting in catastrophic consequences for Sudan’s 48 million residents, many of whom now face famine. The disputed stakes include control over Red Sea shipping routes, one of Africa’s largest gold reserves, and access to the contested waters of the Nile River.

Mercenaries have become a crucial tool for gaining strategic advantage. Colombian fighters captured last month in Darfur were contracted earlier this year by an Abu Dhabi-based company called Global Security Services Group (GSSG). This was revealed through interviews with over ten international officials, former Colombian fighters, and an examination of social media profiles and corporate records.

GSSG describes itself as the exclusive provider of armed private security services to the UAE government. It lists among its clients the UAE’s Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The company has previously operated in Uganda, where it trained local forces in counterterrorism and VIP protection, reportedly on behalf of the UAE government, according to a military spokesperson. The Colombian recruits were transferred to Libyan territories controlled by warlord Khalifa Haftar before being sent to the RSF stronghold in Darfur.

Haftar has long been supported by the UAE, according to United Nations reports. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the UAE has also been supplying weapons and other war materials to the RSF, a claim corroborated by UN experts. The oil-rich capital, Abu Dhabi, is a primary destination for both Sudan’s official and unofficial gold exports, further entwining the UAE in the conflict.

Meanwhile, Egypt supports Sudan’s national army as part of its broader strategy to secure Sudanese backing in its dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Egypt has officially denied conducting airstrikes in Sudan, but senior Arab officials privately acknowledge that Egypt has deployed light aircraft to support the Sudanese army, including bombing RSF positions in Darfur and Sennar State.

Humanitarian Catastrophe and the Role of Mercenaries

Darfur is under a UN arms embargo, and the United States has repeatedly called on foreign governments to stay out of Sudan’s conflict, which began in April 2023. However, the fighting has escalated, creating what is now widely regarded as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. By some estimates, up to 150,000 people have been killed, and around 25 million people—more than half the population—are experiencing crisis levels of hunger. One in four Sudanese has been displaced, and famine has been declared in a Darfur camp hosting between 500,000 and 1 million internally displaced people, who have recently come under attack by the RSF.

The prominent roles of mercenaries and foreign governments threaten to prolong the suffering of Sudanese civilians.

International Recruitment of Mercenaries

Colombia, with its large pool of U.S.-trained drug war veterans, has long been a target for foreign security firms recruiting mercenaries. A decade ago, the UAE deployed Colombian fighters to Yemen’s civil war via military contractors. In September, a Bogotá-based recruitment agency called International Services Agency (A4SI) began advertising jobs for drone operators, cybersecurity specialists, and bodyguards for assignments in Africa. Job listings offering monthly salaries between $2,600 and $6,000 were circulated in Colombian veterans’ chat groups. A4SI also hosted recruitment events in Colombian cities, including Medellín, where around 80 former soldiers and police officers attended a mid-October briefing.

Contractors familiar with the efforts said A4SI was seeking snipers and Spanish-to-English translators. Dozens of former soldiers signed contracts with GSSG, which had partnered with A4SI for years, according to the contractors.

From Colombia to Darfur

Colombian recruits traveled from Bogotá to Dubai in October, as shown by passport stamps and social media posts. Christian Lombana Moncaya, a retired corporal whose documents appeared in Darfur videos, traveled from Bogotá to Dubai on October 6, staying there for weeks before being sent to a Libyan airbase near the Sudanese border, controlled by Haftar’s forces.

On November 22, evidence of the Colombian contractors surfaced again. A spokesperson for Darfur’s Joint Protection Force, an alliance of armed groups fighting the RSF alongside Sudan’s national army, posted blurry videos of a convoy intercepted by the coalition. The spokesperson alleged that the UAE was organizing the movement of fighters and weapons through Darfur.

The videos showed crates of mortars labeled in Bulgarian. Bulgaria’s Ministry of Economy, which oversees arms exports, denied issuing permits for sales to Sudan.

A Deceptive Recruitment Operation

Colombian contractors said their contracts with GSSG did not mention Sudan or deployment to active war zones. “They were practically deceived,” one contractor said. After traveling to the UAE, they were sent to Libya and then to Sudan without full disclosure.

Colombia’s foreign minister discussed the involvement of Colombian contractors in Sudan with his Sudanese counterpart on December 3. The ministry stated it was working through diplomatic channels to repatriate the former soldiers, whom it claimed were misled into participating in the conflict.

Conclusion

The UAE’s involvement in Sudan through mercenary recruitment and arms shipments has intensified the conflict, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The continued presence of foreign fighters threatens to prolong the suffering of millions, turning Sudan into a tragic battleground for international powers vying for strategic dominance.