UN-Backed Probe Reveals Foreign Fighters and External Support Driving Sudan's Devastating Civil War

Foreign recruitment and external support networks are sustaining and expanding the civil war in Sudan by providing weapons, military technology, and fighters at great cost to civilians, according to a United Nations-backed investigation.

A report published on Thursday by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan revealed that transnational entities operating across several countries have recruited, trained, and deployed foreign personnel to back the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The investigation also uncovered reasonable grounds to believe that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) utilized foreign-supplied drones in military operations that ultimately harmed civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Since April 2023, the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Sudanese citizens and forced millions to abandon their homes.

“This support fed into RSF operations in Zamzam camp and later during the takeover of el-Fasher, where the Mission documented grave human rights and international humanitarian law violations and international crimes, including conduct displaying hallmarks of genocide,” stated mission member Mona Rishmawi.

According to the report, external entities have significantly upgraded the drone capabilities of both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), allowing them to strike targets far beyond the front lines. Notable documented drone strikes include Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks in Kalogi, South Kordofan that resulted in 114 deaths, and army strikes in Ad-Da’ein, East Darfur, which killed at least 70 people and destroyed a major hospital.

Repeated Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drone strikes in el-Obeid, North Kordofan, particularly between July and August of this year, may constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and could amount to war crimes, the report warned.

“The consequences of this external support are being felt most acutely by civilians,” noted mission chair Mohamed Chande Othman.

The investigation documented the deployment of up to 2,000 former Colombian military contractors who reportedly operated combat drones, artillery, and advanced weaponry directly alongside Rapid Support Forces (RSF) units in Darfur and Kordofan. In response, the Colombian government informed investigators that it firmly opposes mercenarism and is actively taking measures to address the involvement of its citizens in foreign conflicts.

Witnesses also reported seeing fighters from South Sudan, Chad, and Ethiopia, including women, serving primarily in frontline rather than technical positions, identified through language, accents, and in certain instances, uniforms.

Furthermore, private entities, intermediaries, and recruiters operating out of countries such as Colombia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) utilized transit hubs in Chad, Libya, and Somalia to facilitate the delivery of personnel, training, weapons, and logistics to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) rejected allegations of providing military, logistical, financial, or political support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Meanwhile, Chad maintained that it remains neutral in the conflict, and Somalia’s government stated it takes the report’s allegations seriously, as reported by the Reuters news agency.

The UN mission has strongly urged states to put a stop to illicit supply networks and strictly enforce the existing UN arms embargo.

The United Nations reports that since 2023, Sudan’s civil war has displaced over 12 million people, devastated civilian infrastructure, collapsed basic services, and generated one of the worst humanitarian crises globally. At least three million Sudanese refugees have sought safety in neighbouring countries, including Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan. The UN Human Rights Council originally established the fact-finding mission in October 2023 to gather evidence concerning violations in Sudan, though the independent investigative team does not speak on behalf of the UN.