Colombian Mercenaries Linked to Sudan
- Phone-tracking data and a UN-cited report linked Colombian mercenaries to support for Sudan's Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher. - The conflict has produced catastrophic humanitarian harm, with reports saying it is now the world's worst crisis and one in three children malnourished on the Sudan–South Sudan border. - Investigations point to transfers routed via Libya and UAE-connected hubs, while nearly four million returning to home areas now face dire conditions and another struggle for survival ( ).
A United Nations report cites phone-tracking data placing over 100 Colombian mercenaries in Sudan, fighting for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) around El Fasher. Libya routed their deployment and weapons to the paramilitary group. (bbc.com) The mercenaries, mostly ex-Colombian soldiers, arrived in waves starting April 2024 via Benghazia, Libya. UN investigators tracked 117 phones linked to Colombia moving from South America through Libya into Sudan. (wral.com) Sudan's war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF under Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. The clash has killed over 20,000 people and displaced 10 million, half of them children. (bbc.com) El Fasher, the last major Darfur city outside RSF control, faces RSF assaults backed by these foreign fighters. The RSF controls most of Darfur and is advancing despite a January 2025 Jeddah truce that collapsed. (wral.com) Libya's role deepened after Khalifa Haftar's forces hosted RSF delegations in Benghazi since 2023, shipping arms and fighters from Colombia. UAE-linked networks allegedly financed transfers through Dubai hubs, per UN sanctions monitors. (bbc.com) The UAE denies direct involvement, stating it supports peace talks and delivered aid to Sudan. Colombia's government says it lacks jurisdiction over citizens abroad but vows to investigate recruiters. (reuters.com) Sudan's crisis is now the world's largest humanitarian emergency, with 14.5 million facing acute hunger. One in three children on the Sudan-South Sudan border shows malnutrition signs. (un.org) Nearly 4 million people have returned to unsafe home areas amid fighting, facing famine risks and no services. Aid groups warn of mass starvation without ceasefires. (wral.com) The mercenaries reportedly earn $2,000 monthly—five times Sudan's average salary—highlighting how global networks prolong the war. UN experts urge travel bans and asset freezes on recruiters. (bbc.com)
