2,000 Colombian mercenaries fighting with RSF rebels in Sudan
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Around 2,000 Colombian mercenaries are fighting alongside Sudan’s RSF rebels in Al Fashir, according to the pro-government Sudan Liberation Army.
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Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, Sudan, Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (AP)
About 2,000 Colombian mercenaries are currently fighting alongside the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, according to Agad bin Kony, a spokesman for the pro-government Sudan Liberation Army (SLA).
“According to the latest data, about 2,000 Colombian militants are fighting on the side of the RSF in Al Fashir, the capital of the western province of North Darfur,” bin Kony told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
His remarks follow a recent statement by the Sudanese army, which announced on October 1 that both Ukrainian and Colombian mercenaries fighting for the RSF had been among those eliminated during battles in Al Fashir.
Pro-government forces intensify coordination
The Sudan Liberation Army, led by Darfur Governor Mini Arko Minawi, is considered one of the main pro-government forces aligned with Sudan’s regular army against the RSF. Reports suggest that its combined strength ranges between 5,000 and 10,000 fighters.
The SLA has been coordinating operations with the national army in North Darfur, where clashes have intensified as the RSF seeks to expand control following its setbacks in Khartoum earlier this year.
Fighting between the RSF and Sudan’s regular army erupted in April 2023, plunging the country into one of the worst internal conflicts in its history. The army announced in March that it had successfully pushed RSF rebels out of the capital, Khartoum, but the group later escalated assaults in western and southern Sudan, where it declared the formation of a rival government.
Sudan downs UAE plane carrying Colombians
The Sudanese army claimed in August that it had destroyed a UAE aircraft carrying "Colombian mercenaries" at Nyala Airport in South Darfur, killing at least 40 people.
According to Sudan’s state television, "the Sudanese army destroyed a UAE plane while it was landing at Nyala Airport, which is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)," adding that "the aircraft had taken off from a Gulf airbase and was transporting weapons and military equipment to the RSF." The strike was framed by Sudanese media as a warning against continued foreign intervention in the conflict.
Satellite imagery analyzed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab confirms that an aircraft at Nyala Airport was destroyed on May 2, 2025, showing extensive thermal damage and debris patterns consistent with an airstrike. This independent verification supports the army’s claim that a military operation targeted a plane at the site.
Colombia wants to ban mercnary activity
Commenting on the reports, Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that, in light of "news about the killing of Colombian mercenaries in Sudan," he had instructed Colombia’s ambassador in Egypt to verify the number of nationals killed. He also urged the swift adoption of a law banning mercenary activity by Colombian citizens.
The UAE has denied the allegations. Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, an Emirati official described the claims from what he termed "the Port Sudan authority" as "baseless and entirely lacking in evidence," calling them part of a "systematic campaign of misinformation and distortion." The official challenged Sudan to present verifiable proof.
