Abu Dhabi's GSSG Deployed 300 Colombian PMCs to Aid Sudan's RSF, HRW Says
Updated
Updated · Human Rights Watch · May 25
Abu Dhabi's GSSG Deployed 300 Colombian PMCs to Aid Sudan's RSF, HRW Says
5 articles · Updated · Human Rights Watch · May 25
At least 300 Colombian contractors were deployed from 2024 to support Sudan's RSF, with Human Rights Watch tying the operation to Abu Dhabi-based Global Security Services Group.
Human Rights Watch said the recruits moved through UAE military-linked sites in Ghiyathi and Al Wathba, then onward via Libya, Somalia and Chad before reaching Darfur and RSF-held Nyala.
Witnesses in El Fasher said white, Spanish-speaking fighters in helmets and body armor were present as RSF forces carried out killings, rape and abuses during the city's October 2025 fall after an 18-month siege.
Two Colombian contractors told Human Rights Watch they directly backed RSF operations, including combat support and training recruits around Nyala; one said many trainees were children.
The report adds to evidence of UAE support for the RSF despite Emirati denials, and urges UN investigators to probe GSSG and impose sanctions for possible arms-embargo breaches and complicity in war crimes.
How did Colombian ex-soldiers, hired by an Abu Dhabi firm, become perpetrators in the Darfur genocide?
Is the shutdown of US aid creating a vacuum for proxy wars and private armies to thrive in Africa?
With overwhelming evidence of its role, why does the UAE face no real consequences for fueling Sudan's horrific war?
Foreign Fighters and Arms Embargo Breaches: How the UAE and Colombian Mercenaries Fuel Sudan’s 2024 Humanitarian Catastrophe
Overview
The report reveals how Sudan’s civil war has been fueled by a transnational network, mainly involving Colombian nationals and companies, who recruit former Colombian soldiers to fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These foreign fighters, identified by their distinctive protective gear, have been present at sites of mass killings and severe human rights abuses. Human Rights Watch has confirmed both the presence of these fighters and the atrocities committed. This network’s activities have contributed to a severe humanitarian crisis in Sudan, highlighting the complex and dangerous role of foreign actors in escalating the conflict.