UN Probe Says Foreign Fighters and Networks Are Fueling Sudan War

Foreign fighters and the networks supplying them are helping turn Sudan's war into a more capable and more destructive conflict, a UN-backed investigation has warned. The independent fact-finding mission said outside support has strengthened the military capabilities of both the army and the Rapid Support Forces, enabling strikes far beyond the front lines.

The report documented the recruitment, training and deployment of foreign personnel for the RSF. It identified as many as 2,000 former Colombian military contractors who directly operated combat drones, artillery and advanced weapons alongside RSF units. Witnesses also reported fighters from South Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia, including women serving mainly in frontline roles. Investigators said they identified some fighters through their language, accents and, in certain cases, their uniforms.

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This external support has not brought greater protection for civilians.

Private companies, intermediaries and recruiters operating from countries including Colombia used transit points in Chad, Libya and Somalia to move personnel, training, weapons and logistical support to the RSF, the mission said. Foreign suppliers also expanded the drone capabilities of both the RSF and the regular army. Investigators said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the army used foreign-supplied drones in operations that damaged civilian infrastructure and harmed civilians.

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Instead, civilians are paying the price through attacks on homes, hospitals, schools, markets and places of refuge.

“This external support has not brought greater protection for civilians,” said mission chairman Mohamad Chande Othman. “Instead, civilians are paying the price through attacks on homes, hospitals, schools, markets and places of refuge.” The mission said attacks it documented by both warring parties may amount to war crimes.

The conflict, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions from their homes. The UN Human Rights Council established the investigation in October 2023 to gather evidence of violations. The United States has urged the Security Council to extend an arms embargo imposed on Darfur to the whole of Sudan, a call backed by the mission. Othman said protecting civilians requires action against not only the fighters, but also the people and networks helping the war continue.

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Protecting Sudan's civilians requires action not only against those fighting the war, but also against the individuals, entities and networks that enable it to continue.