The United Arab Emirates has been accused of training Colombian mercenaries before deploying them to fight alongside a notorious paramilitary group in Sudan's devastating war, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch released on Tuesday.
HRW Report Details UAE Involvement
The report is the latest by an international rights group alleging that the wealthy Gulf monarchy has provided financial and military aid to the Rapid Support Forces, which have been widely accused of committing atrocities amounting to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The UAE denied the accusations in response to questions from The Associated Press.
Mausi Segun, executive director of HRW's Africa Division, stated, "The recruitment of Colombian private military contractors adds to a growing body of evidence that the UAE provides military support to the Rapid Support Forces, which have repeatedly carried out heinous atrocities in Sudan."
Background of Sudan's Conflict
Sudan's war erupted on April 15, 2023, when a power struggle between the military and the RSF escalated into fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and across the northeastern African nation. The RSF originated from the feared Arab Janjaweed militias, notorious for atrocities in the early 2000s against people of East or Central African descent in Darfur.
Training and Deployment of Mercenaries
Human Rights Watch reported that hundreds of Colombian mercenaries were trained by Emirati nationals at a military base in the Al Dhafra region, about 250 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi, and at another facility in Abu Dhabi itself. They were then deployed to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF.
The rights group quoted an unnamed Colombian mercenary who said he trained RSF recruits at camps near Nyala, the provincial capital of South Darfur, in April last year. Many recruits were described as "young children." HRW also interviewed another Colombian mercenary and other sources, including former Colombian military officers.
A United Nations panel of experts reported to the U.N. Security Council in September that Colombian mercenaries fought in multiple areas across Sudan, including Khartoum, Omdurman, Darfur, and Kordofan. Their roles included operating RSF drones, artillery, and armored vehicles, as well as participating in direct attacks. RSF commander Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo acknowledged in February that Colombian mercenaries helped his group operate drones.
Private Security Firm Involvement
The mercenaries were hired by Abu Dhabi-based Global Security Services Group, a private security firm chaired by Emirati national Mohammed Hamdan Al-Zaabi, according to U.N. experts. Human Rights Watch said Emirati authorities and the firm did not respond to its requests for comment.
The UAE's Foreign Ministry denied the allegations in an email to the AP, stating, "The UAE does not permit its territory to be used for the recruitment, training, financing or transit of foreign fighters to any conflict, including Sudan." The ministry added that any private individual or entity providing support to non-state armed groups would be doing so without state authorization, in violation of Emirati law, and subject to criminal investigation and prosecution.
Evidence of Atrocities
Human Rights Watch verified videos showing mercenaries, apparently Colombian, fighting alongside the RSF when it captured the Darfur city of el-Fasher in October. The offensive was described by U.N.-commissioned experts as bearing "the hallmarks of genocide." At least 6,000 people were killed in three days, according to the U.N.
The rights group called on the international community, including the European Union, to press the UAE to end its support to the RSF by suspending military cooperation and arms sales. Segun said, "Other countries need to stop accepting the UAE's blanket denials of support to the RSF which fly in the face of the facts, and should put an end to its impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity."
U.S. Sanctions and Casualties
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on many people and firms based in Bogota, Colombia, over allegedly recruiting and deploying Colombian mercenaries to fight with the RSF. However, it has not addressed reports of the UAE's alleged support to the RSF, which it accused of repeatedly carrying out "summary executions, ethnically motivated attacks, sexual and gender-based violence, and torture throughout areas under its control" during the war.
At least 59,000 people have been killed over the three years, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, known as ACLED. The U.S.-based tracking group noted that its toll is almost certainly an underestimate given the difficulty in reporting.
