Sudan accuses UAE of deploying mercenaries

Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates of sending Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces against the military in the country's civil war.

The foreign ministry said in a statement Monday that the Sudanese government has “irrefutable evidence” confirming mercenaries from Colombia and some neighboring African countries were sponsored and financed by Emirati authorities. The statement failed to provide evidence or identify the neighboring countries.

“This unprecedented phenomenon poses a serious threat to peace and security in the region and across the continent,” the foreign ministry said, asserting that hundreds of thousands of mercenaries were hired from across the African continent.

In an emailed statement to The Associated Press, the UAE's foreign affairs ministry said the government “categorically rejects” the allegations and denied involvement in the war by backing armed groups.

“The UAE emphasizes that these claims are merely attempts to derail the peace process and evade the moral, legal, and humanitarian obligations to end the conflict and pave the way for a transitional process that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people for security, stability and development,” the statement by the ministry's media office added.

There was no immediate response from Colombia.

The civil war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 in Khartoum before spreading across the country following simmering tensions between the RSF and the army. The fighting has killed over 40,000 people, displaced as many as 12 million and pushed many to the brink of famine.

Sudan has long accused the UAE of being involved in the war by supplying the RSF with weapons, but the Gulf country has denied that claim.

In November, an Amnesty International report said the Sudanese military had captured armored vehicles manufactured by the UAE and equipped with French defense systems. A spokesperson for the Emirati government said at the time that the UAE was the “target of a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at undermining our foreign policy, regional role and humanitarian efforts.”

Sudan's army and the RSF both have been accused of committing atrocities like ethnic cleansing, extrajudicial killings and sexual violence against civilians, including children.