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UAE-linked mercenaries enabled RSF takeover of el-Fasher
A network of Colombian mercenaries, financed and coordinated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), played a pivotal role in the Rapid Support Forces' (RSF) seizure of Sudan's western city of el-Fasher last year, according to a new investigation by the Conflict Insights Group (CIG).
Evidence of direct UAE involvement
The CIG report, released this week, marks the first time researchers have presented concrete proof of Abu Dhabi's support for the RSF, a paramilitary group locked in a three-year war with Sudan's regular army. The UAE has consistently denied backing the RSF, dismissing previous allegations as baseless.
"We are making public what governments have long known-that there is a direct link between Abu Dhabi and the RSF," CIG director Justin Lynch stated. The investigation traced mercenaries' movements using mobile phone data, flight records, and satellite imagery, revealing a coordinated supply chain from UAE military bases to RSF-held territories.
Tracking the mercenary pipeline
The CIG monitored over 50 mobile devices linked to Colombian fighters between April 2025 and January 2026. Many of these phones, set to Spanish-language preferences, were detected at a UAE military training facility in Ghayathi, Abu Dhabi, before relocating to Sudan.
Key findings include:
- Devices tracked from Colombia to Abu Dhabi's Zayad International Airport, then to Ghayathi, where four other Spanish-configured phones were identified.
- Subsequent movements to RSF strongholds in South Darfur and Nyala, the paramilitary's de facto capital, where drones were actively deployed.
- Wi-fi networks named "ANTIAEREO" (Spanish for "anti-aircraft") and "AirDefense" in Nyala, a hub for mercenary-operated drone missions.
One phone traveled from Nyala to el-Fasher during the RSF's October 2025 offensive, connecting to a network labeled "ATACADOR" ("attacker" in Spanish). The CIG identified additional Colombian-linked devices in the city during the takeover.
Atrocities and shared responsibility
The fall of el-Fasher, which followed an 18-month siege, was marked by mass killings, sexual violence, and forced displacements. The International Criminal Court (ICC) and UN investigators have classified the events as war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the latter describing them as bearing "hallmarks of genocide."
"The scale of atrocities in el-Fasher wouldn't have happened without the drone operations the mercenaries provided," Lynch said. "The UAE-Colombian network bears shared responsibility for these outcomes."
Justin Lynch, CIG Director
Mercenary operations and UAE ties
The report details how Colombian fighters, operating under the Desert Wolves brigade, served as drone pilots, artillery specialists, and instructors for the RSF. The brigade, led by retired Colombian Colonel Alvaro Quijano-who is based in the UAE and sanctioned by the US and UK-was employed by a UAE-registered company with ties to senior Emirati officials.
Devices linked to the mercenaries were also detected at a UAE-linked port in Somalia and a logistics hub in southeastern Libya, suspected of facilitating arms transfers to the RSF.
International responses and denials
Colombian President Gustavo Petro previously condemned the recruitment of mercenaries as "human trafficking" and labeled them "spectres of death." The US has sanctioned multiple Colombian nationals and firms for their role in the conflict but has not directly implicated the UAE.
The Emirati government, contacted by the BBC for comment, has not responded to the latest findings. In past statements, Abu Dhabi has rejected allegations of RSF support as "false and unfounded" and condemned the atrocities in el-Fasher "in the strongest terms."
Broader implications for Sudan's war
Analysts emphasize that foreign backing-from the UAE, Russia, and other actors-has prolonged and intensified Sudan's civil war, now the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands have been killed, and millions displaced since fighting erupted in 2023.
The CIG's investigation underscores the global dimensions of the conflict, with mercenaries, drones, and state-sponsored networks reshaping its trajectory.
