A United Nations panel has linked the United Arab Emirates to the funding and training of Colombian mercenaries used by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. These foreign fighters allegedly participated in mass killings within the Darfur region last October.
The 2,000 Colombian 'Desert Wolves' in Darfur
The United Nations Panel of Experts on Sudan has uncovered evidence that the United Arab Emirates funded and trained approximately 2,000 Colombian mercenaries.. According to the UN report, these fighters, known as the "Desert Wolves," were processed through a UAE-based company and trained at two military installations in the Emirates before deployment to western Sudan.
Once in the Darfur region,the Desert Wolves established a strategic base in Nyala to support the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These mercenaries provided critical artillery and drone capabilities that the Rapid Support Forces used to seize El Fasher. The report links these operations to the killing of thousands of civilians in nearby camps last October.. By integrating foreign professional soldiers into the RSF's paramilitary structure,the conflict in Sudan has shifted from a local power struggle to a transnational military operation.
Cargo Flights and the UAE-Libya-Sudan Pipeline
The conflict in Sudan has evolved into the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with roughly 13 million people forced from their homes over the last three years. As the UN report says, this instability is sustained by a sophisticated logistics network that moves weapons and personnel across borders. This supply chain involves cargo flights originating in the United Arab Emirates and transiting through Chad, Puntland in Somalia, and southeastern Libya.
This pattern of external interference echoes previous geopolitical struggles where regional powers use proxies to secure influence. the 72-page UN document suggests that the Rapid Support Forces are not merely a local militia but a well-equipped force fueled by a multi-national pipeline of funding and hardware.. This external support has effectively neutralized the Sudanese army's ability to protect civilian populations in the Darfur region.
Streit Group and the Nine Emirati Manufacturers
Beyond human mercenaries, the United Nations has identified a hardware pipeline involving nine Emirati manufacturers. The report highlihgts the procurement of new armoured personnel carriers that were reportedly produced in the United Arab Emirates, shipped via cargo vessel to Libya, and subsequently driven into Sudan.
Among these manufacturers is the Streit Group, a Canadian-owned firm that has already faced sanctions for providing weaponry to Russian forces. The use of such entities allows the Rapid Support Forces to acquire high-grade military equipment while maintaining a layer of corporate separation . The combination of these vehicles and drone strikes has resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, according to the UN's findings.
The UAE's 'Conspiracy Film' Defense and Unverified Logistics
The United Arab Emirates has vehemently denied these allegations, describing the UN's findings as a "conspiracy film." While the report details the movement of cargo flights and the presence of the Desert Wolves, several critical pieces of information remain obscured. Specifically, the UN report mentions a "UAE-based company" with close government ties that hired the mercenaries, but it does not explicitly name the entity.
Furthermore,it remains unclear how the financial transactions between the UAE-based company and the Colombian contractors were structured to avoid international banking monitors. While the UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding missions have documented the transit of personnel, the exact nature of the "close ties" between the UAE government and the hiring firm requires further verification to establish direct state culpability.
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