{"id":20108396,"date":"2024-11-28T17:59:36","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T16:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20108396"},"modified":"2024-11-28T18:35:01","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T17:35:01","slug":"colombian-mercenaries-fighting-in-sudan-with-alleged-uae-links","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/colombian-mercenaries-fighting-in-sudan-with-alleged-uae-links","title":{"rendered":"‘Colombian mercenaries fighting in Sudan with alleged UAE links’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At least 300 Colombian ex-soldiers are reportedly fighting in Sudan, according to an investigative report by Colombian news site, La Silla Vac\u00eda<\/em>, published on Tuesday. The report alleges that the soldiers were drawn into the ongoing conflict through a cross-border operation involving four countries, chiefly spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the original report<\/a>, the operation involved Colombian ex-soldiers being recruited under false pretences by the Colombian company, International Services Agency A4SI (Academy for Security Instruction), with promises of securing oil infrastructure in the UAE. Instead, they were transported to Libya<\/a>\u00a0via Dubai or Abu Dhabi, where they were handed over to representatives of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Libya<\/a>\u00a0served as a staging ground, with mercenaries housed in Benghazi before being covertly transported across the border into Sudan, via desert routes over eight days, to fight alongside the RSF in operations around\u00a0El Fasher<\/a>, the capital of North Darfur, where three were killed during fighting in October. The family of one deceased soldier confirmed his death, adding that shelling had caused heavy casualties among their ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The operation highlights a transnational network spanning Colombia, the UAE, Libya, and Sudan, involving private security firms, paramilitary groups, and alleged backing from the UAE, a key player accused of\u00a0supporting the RSF<\/a>\u00a0in violation of international arms embargoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A video circulating on social media, shows members of the *Joint Forces, made up of Sudanese Armed Forces-aligned insurgents, presenting documents and ID cards allegedly belonging to Colombian mercenaries. These forces claimed the mercenaries had travelled from Libya to fight alongside the RSF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NEW: The Sudanese army seized a large amount of military equipment belonging to foreign (Colombian) mercenaries in the ranks of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during an operation in the Sudan-Libya-Chad border triangle.

During the operation, identity cards, passports and\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/pZyyaRXRxq<\/a><\/p>— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 23, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>