Key facts
- A UN investigation found a transnational network supplied weapons, logistical assistance, training, and foreign personnel to Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
- The network involved companies, intermediaries, and individuals operating in or through the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Chad, Libya, and Somalia.
- Foreign-supplied drones were used by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to strike targets deep inside RSF-controlled territory.
- The report documented RSF and SAF attacks on civilians, hospitals, schools, markets, and displacement shelters, some of which may constitute war crimes.
- Colombian contractors, potentially up to 2,000 former military personnel, were recruited to support RSF drone, artillery, and air defence operations.
- Some Colombian contractors reportedly received training at a military-style facility in the UAE before deploying to Sudan.
A United Nations investigation has found that foreign weapons, military technology, and mercenaries are sustaining the war in Sudan and enabling attacks that may constitute war crimes. The report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan stated there are "reasonable grounds to believe" that a transnational network supplied the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with weapons, logistical assistance, training, and foreign personnel.
The network reportedly includes companies, intermediaries, and individuals operating in or through the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Chad, Libya, and Somalia. While the UAE denies the accusations, evidence links it to the supply of arms and other goods to the RSF. Rights groups have also filed communications with the International Criminal Court requesting investigations into the role of senior UAE officials in allegedly aiding RSF atrocities.
UN investigators also found preliminary evidence that foreign-supplied drones had expanded the long-range capabilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), leading to civilian casualties. Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the fact-finding mission, stated that this external support has not brought greater protection to civilians, but instead, they are paying the price through attacks on homes, hospitals, schools, markets, and places of refuge.
More than 1,000 civilians were killed in drone attacks between January and May 2026 alone. The mission documented RSF strikes on a kindergarten, hospital, and displacement shelter, as well as SAF attacks on hospitals, markets, a wedding, and a court session. In one incident in Kalogi, RSF drone strikes on a kindergarten and hospital killed 114 people, including about 60 children. The RSF also struck a building sheltering displaced families, killing at least five civilians. These attacks failed to meet international humanitarian law requirements.
The SAF was also found to have carried out strikes on Ad-Da’ein Teaching Hospital, killing at least 70 people and rendering the facility inoperable. Attacks on Abu Zaima market and Yabus market were also attributed to the army. If civilian sites were deliberately targeted, these attacks may amount to war crimes.
The report detailed how weapons, personnel, and supplies were transported through air, maritime, and land routes involving Bosaso in Somalia, southeastern Libya, and Chad. The equipment included Chinese-made howitzers, air defence systems, and reconnaissance and strike drones, some of which were consistent with equipment previously exported to the UAE. Witnesses described cargo flights originating in the UAE and travelling through Chad, after which supplies and foreign contractors were moved into RSF-controlled territory.
While the investigators did not attribute the network's conduct to the Emirati state, they concluded that individuals and entities linked to the UAE played a significant role in recruiting, financing, and transporting military contractors. The UAE rejected these allegations, stating it remained neutral and found no evidence connecting entities under its jurisdiction to mercenary activity. The mission urged Abu Dhabi to undertake stronger investigations.
Colombian contractors played a crucial role in the RSF’s drone, artillery, and air defence operations, with up to 2,000 former military personnel potentially recruited since August 2024. Some were reportedly trained at a military-style facility in Ghayathi, UAE, before travelling to Sudan. Contractors known as the "Desert Wolves" were present during the RSF's takeover of el-Fasher, operating advanced systems. The mission noted that RSF forces and their allies committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in el-Fasher, with conduct displaying hallmarks of genocide.
The report named retired Colombian colonel Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, founder of a principal recruitment company, who was based in Abu Dhabi. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, allegedly coordinated recruitment in Colombia. Both were sanctioned by the UN Security Council. Colombia acknowledged that its companies and individuals recruited contractors but stated the state did not direct or support their activities.