The Sudanese government has accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of recruiting foreign mercenaries—most notably from Colombia—to fight in the ongoing war, warning that the growing trend poses a threat to regional and continental security.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Sudanese Army spokesperson Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah said the RSF has, since the outbreak of the war in April 2023, relied on foreign fighters for specialized roles including artillery operations, drone warfare, and frontline combat. He confirmed the presence of “thousands of mercenaries actively involved in the Sudan war.”
In a statement issued over the weekend, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had submitted official documentation to the United Nations Security Council, detailing the involvement of Colombian nationals and tens of thousands of mercenaries from neighboring African countries. These fighters, the ministry claimed, were recruited and funded by foreign actors with strategic interests in the conflict.
The ministry added that the situation marks “a dangerous turning point in the conflict, transforming it into a transnational proxy war that undermines state sovereignty and threatens international peace.”
Extensive Mercenary Recruitment Across the Region
According to intelligence gathered by Al Jazeera Net, the RSF has enlisted hundreds of fighters from Chad, the Central African Republic, Libya, and Niger. Between November 2024 and February 2025, approximately 800 Chadian nationals—aged 16 to 35—were recruited to fight in Sudan, reportedly receiving between 1 to 2 million CFA francs (around $1,650–$3,300 USD) for six months of service. Many were trained by foreign military advisers, including in the operation of drones and missiles.
In the Central African Republic, over 1,300 fighters had been recruited by early 2025, with plans to raise that number to 3,300 to be deployed in the Darfur cities of El Geneina and Nyala.
More than 900 Chadian fighters with previous experience serving in Libya’s National Army were also reportedly recruited between December 2024 and February 2025. The training efforts in the Central African Republic were said to involve Russian paramilitary networks.
The Sudanese government warned regional and global powers about what it described as “a sophisticated and coordinated campaign to destabilize Sudan,” pointing directly to the RSF and the foreign mercenaries backing them.
Colombian Involvement Confirmed
According to a recent investigation by Colombian news platform La Silla Vacía, over 300 former Colombian military personnel were recruited as part of a clandestine mission known as “Desert Wolves.” A retired Colombian army colonel is said to be leading this effort on the ground in Sudan.
Some of these mercenaries have been training Sudanese fighters, including child soldiers as young as 10 years old, in camps south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State. The camps reportedly host 1,000 to 3,000 Sudanese recruits.
Footage and data retrieved from captured mercenaries’ devices have been submitted to international bodies, including the UN, in an effort by Sudan to build an international case against the RSF and its foreign sponsors.
Broader Context
The conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The war has claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced around 15 million people, according to the UN, with independent studies estimating the death toll to be as high as 130,000.
Sudanese officials are now calling on the international community to condemn the use of foreign mercenaries and to impose sanctions on parties fueling the conflict. There has been no official response from RSF leadership regarding the allegations.
