A UN mission says foreign recruiters and up to 2,000 Colombian mercenaries are fuelling Sudan's civil war. Should outside backers pay a price, or is this how proxy wars work now?
The report says recruitment networks, including former Colombian soldiers and UAE-linked facilitators, are strengthening the fighting, with support for the paramilitary RSF running through the UAE, worsening a conflict devastating civilians.
What happened
Investigators documented up to 2,000 former Colombian military contractors operating drones and artillery for the Rapid Support Forces, with supply routes through the UAE, Chad, Libya, and Somalia. The report urges the UN Security Council to extend its arms embargo to cover all of Sudan.
Why people disagree
Human rights advocates say named states like the UAE must face embargoes and accountability for enabling atrocities against civilians, including attacks on hospitals and schools. Skeptics note enforcement of any embargo is historically weak, private contractors aren't the same as state responsibility, and implicated governments deny involvement.
What's still unclear
Whether the Security Council will act on the report's recommendations, and whether an expanded embargo could realistically be enforced, remains unresolved.
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