Colombians Linked to Sudan Atrocities Trained Abroad

Colombians linked to Sudan atrocities have raised serious concerns, as private military contractors from Colombia, reportedly recruited by a UAE-based security firm, were seen transiting through UAE military facilities before their deployment to Sudan. According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch, this situation highlights the UAE's substantial contributions to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been implicated in numerous war crimes. The 83-page report titled “From Bogotá to El Fasher: UAE’s Role in the Deployment of Colombian Fighters and Other Backing to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan” presents findings indicating that since 2024, Global Security Services Group (GSSG), a security firm based in Abu Dhabi, has hired hundreds of Colombian contractors to support the RSF in its conflict against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Human Rights Watch verified that some of these military contractors were present in El Fasher, North Darfur’s capital, in October 2025, coinciding with a period of mass killings and sexual violence committed by the RSF. The UN International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan has described these acts as bearing “the hallmarks of genocide.” Mausi Segun, the executive director of the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch, stated, “The recruitment of Colombian private military contractors adds to a growing body of evidence that the UAE provides military support to the RSF, which has repeatedly committed horrendous atrocities in Sudan.” Segun urged global governments to demand publicly that the UAE cease all military assistance to the RSF, including personnel and equipment. Human Rights Watch conducted interviews with two Colombian military contractors, one former GSSG employee, along with eight residents of El Fasher and seven additional sources, including former Colombian military officials. Their investigation included examining corporate records, official documents, and verifying online videos and photographs, some of which depicted the contractors actively fighting alongside the RSF in Sudan and undergoing training at UAE military facilities. While the recruitment initiative appeared to be led by private interests, Human Rights Watch discovered that recruits traveled through a UAE military base in Ghiyathi and a facility in Al Wathba, both located in Abu Dhabi. One contractor disclosed that upon arriving in the UAE, he bypassed immigration controls: “They didn’t stamp our passports.” He and other recruits were sent directly to the Ghiyathi base for training by Emirati nationals. Additional contractors were confirmed to have made stops in the UAE prior to their deployment. The initial evidence of Colombians involved in Sudan was documented through social media videos in November 2024, 19 months into the conflict. The naval coalition, Joint Forces of the Armed Movements, reported intercepting a convoy of Colombians entering Sudan from Libya. Human Rights Watch noted that these Colombian contractors were found in possession of Bulgarian-made 81mm shells, which were allegedly diverted from the inventories of UAE armed forces. This discovery, which has been corroborated by reports from France 24 and Amnesty International, suggests a breach of end-user agreements concerning military equipment. Verified video footage shows foreign contractors, presumed to be Colombian, engaged in combat during the RSF’s takeover of El Fasher in the fall of 2025. Eyewitnesses reported instances of violence, including killings and sexual assaults, as well as the targeting of vulnerable populations. Six witnesses identified “white” foreign fighters in the area of mass killings, equipped with similar gear, including helmets and body armor, as seen in the aforementioned videos. Throughout April 2025, one Colombian contractor admitted to training RSF recruits at camps near Nyala, the main RSF base in South Darfur. Reports from La Silla Vacía indicated that some of these contractors may have also trained child soldiers for the RSF. International law strictly prohibits the recruitment of children in armed conflict, categorizing this as a war crime when involving minors under the age of 15. Notably, the UN secretary-general verified 16 cases of child recruitment by the RSF in 2024, placing the armed group on the UN “list of shame” due to severe violations against children in conflicts. Global Security Services Group was established in 2016 under the leadership of Ahmed Mohammed al-Humairi, who serves as the secretary general of the UAE’s presidential court. According to a 2025 report by The Sentry, a non-governmental investigative organization, al-Humairi reports directly to the UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a notable figure in the ruling family. In 2017, al-Humairi transferred his shares in GSSG to Mohamed Hamdan al-Zaabi, a long-standing business partner. Promoting itself as “the first private security company in the United Arab Emirates to receive an armed security license,” GSSG previously highlighted its key client relationships with Emirati ministries and claimed to be the exclusive armed private security provider for the UAE government. A former employee stated that high-ranking members of the ruling family might have been among GSSG’s clientele, a notion supported by leaked emails analyzed by Human Rights Watch. Al-Zaabi remains actively engaged in business partnerships with al-Humairi. The UAE has consistently denied allegations of military support to the RSF, maintaining that any support is purely humanitarian. However, it is essential to note that Emirati state authorities are likely aware of the activities occurring on their territory, especially within military facilities. The UAE is characterized as a highly centralized authoritarian state where private security firms must coordinate activities with local authorities to avoid violating security measures. Human Rights Watch reached out to GSSG, UAE authorities, and other parties potentially involved in the recruitment and deployment of military contractors. Unfortunately, no responses were received. To further investigate, the UN Security Council should enlist its Panel of Experts on Sudan to scrutinize GSSG and al-Zaabi’s apparent role in supporting the RSF, potentially violating the 2004 UN arms embargo on Darfur. The Panel should also look into other private entities that may be assisting the RSF and enforce sanctions on those providing such support. Governments, alongside the European Union and the African Union, should conduct investigations into GSSG and al-Zaabi, targeting them for sanctions. Additionally, military cooperation and arms sales to the UAE should be suspended, while leveraging diplomatic negotiations to pressure UAE authorities into ceasing their backing for the RSF. “Civilian victims are paying the cost of the lack of will to address UAE’s support for the RSF,” noted Segun. “Countries need to reject the UAE’s blanket denials of RSF support, which contradict the evident facts, and work towards ending its impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity.” For more information, please visit the [Human Rights Watch](https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/05/25/sudan-colombians-linked-to-atrocities-trained-in-uae-bases) and [Amnesty International](https://www.amnesty.org). For related articles, visit [www.globemigrant.com/article1](https://www.globemigrant.com/article1) and [www.globemigrant.com/article2](https://www.globemigrant.com/article2).

Colombians Linked to Sudan Atrocities Trained Abroad

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