The Sudanese government has denounced that it has compelling evidence of the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) involvement in financing and sponsoring mercenaries from Colombia and several neighboring African countries involved in the armed conflict that has plagued the country since April 2023.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that "thousands of fighters" were recruited in different regions of the African continent. However, the official statement does not detail the evidence or specify which African countries are involved.
"This unprecedented phenomenon poses a serious threat to peace and security in the region and across the continent ," he said.
The response from Abu Dhabi was swift. In an emailed statement to the Associated Press, the UAE Foreign Ministry flatly rejected the Sudanese accusations , calling them attempts to "derail the peace process" and divert attention from domestic responsibilities in the conflict.
"The UAE emphasizes that these claims are mere attempts to derail the peace process and evade the moral, legal, and humanitarian obligations to end the conflict and pave the way for a transition process that reflects the Sudanese people's aspirations for security, stability, and development ," the UAE government said.
Sudan has repeatedly accused the United Arab Emirates of providing weapons to the Rapid Support Forces , a paramilitary group opposed to the Sudanese army.
Although the Gulf country has repeatedly denied any military support, previous reports contradict these claims. In late 2024, the Sudanese army captured Emirati-made armored vehicles equipped with French technology. In response, the UAE reported being the target of a disinformation campaign.
The conflict in Sudan has left more than 40,000 dead and 12 million displaced , in addition to causing one of the most serious humanitarian crises on the African continent.
Regarding the Colombian presence, investigations carried out at the end of 2024 by the media outlet La Silla Vacía revealed that at least 300 former Colombian military personnel were fighting in the conflict in Sudan alongside the RSF .
Many of them were reportedly hired under promises of jobs as security agents for oil infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, through the Colombian company International Services Agency A4SI (Academy for Security Instruction).
However, testimonies collected in the report point to possible human trafficking practices. "They hire us for one thing and then take us somewhere else to do something else ," one of the former combatants reported.