Foreign fighters and external support fuel Sudan’s war: UN-backed probe

Investigation says outside support for warring parties strengthens military capabilities, intensifying a humanitarian crisis.

Millions of Sudanese refugees have fled the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) [File: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]

Foreign recruitment and external support networks are sustaining and expanding the civil war in Sudan by providing weapons, military technology and fighters, to the detriment of civilians, according to a United Nations-backed investigation.

A report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, released on Thursday, said transnational entities operating across several countries recruited, trained and deployed foreign personnel to support the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

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The report also said there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) used foreign-supplied drones in its operations that harmed civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Since April 2023, the conflict between the SAF and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of Sudanese and forced millions to flee their homes.

“This support fed into RSF operations in Zamzam camp and later during the takeover of el-Fasher, where the [UN] Mission documented grave human rights and international humanitarian law violations and international crimes, including conduct displaying hallmarks of genocide,” mission member Mona Rishmawi said.

The report said external entities have substantially enhanced the drone capabilities of both the RSF and the SAF, enabling them to strike far beyond front lines.

Documented drone attacks included RSF strikes in Kalogi, South Kordofan that killed 114 people, and army strikes in Ad-Da’ein, East Darfur, which killed at least 70 people and destroyed a major hospital.

Repeated RSF drone strikes in el-Obeid, North Kordofan, especially between July and August this year, may “constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and may amount to war crimes”, the report said.

“The consequences of this external support are being felt most acutely by civilians,” mission chair Mohamed Chande Othman said.

Sudanese refugees displaced by the war ride through the Oure Cassoni refugee camp in Chad, on February 24, 2026 [File: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images]

Networks across several countries

The investigation documented the deployment of up to 2,000 former Colombian military contractors, who it said directly operated combat drones, artillery, and advanced weapons alongside RSF units in Darfur and Kordofan.

The Colombian government told investigators it opposed mercenarism and was taking steps to address the participation of its nationals in foreign conflicts.

Witnesses also reported fighters from South Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia, “including women, serving primarily in frontline, rather than technical roles”, identified by language, accent “and, in some cases uniforms”, the report said.

Private entities, intermediaries and recruiters operating from countries including Colombia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) used transit locations in Chad, Libya and Somalia to facilitate the delivery of personnel, training, weapons and logistics to the RSF in Sudan, the report said.

The UAE rejected allegations that it had provided military, logistical, financial or political support to the RSF. Chad said it remained neutral in the war, and Somalia’s government said it took the report’s allegations seriously, according to the Reuters news agency.

The UN mission urged states to halt illicit supply networks and enforce the UN arms embargo.

Since 2023, Sudan’s civil war has displaced more than 12 million people, devastated civilian infrastructure, collapsed basic services and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, the UN says. At least three million Sudanese refugees have fled to neighbouring countries including Egypt, Chad and South Sudan.

The UN Human Rights Council established the fact-finding mission in October 2023 to begin gathering evidence of violations in Sudan. The independent investigative team does not speak on behalf of the UN.

调查显示，外部势力对交战各方的支持增强了军事能力，加剧了人道主义危机。

数百万苏丹难民逃离了苏丹武装部队（SAF）与准军事快速支援部队（RSF）之间持续不断的冲突。[图片：Amr Abdallah Dalsh/路透社]

联合国支持的一项调查显示，外国招募和外部支持网络通过提供武器、军事技术和战斗人员，维持并扩大了苏丹内战，损害了平民的利益。

联合国苏丹独立国际实况调查团周四发布的一份报告称，在多个国家运营的跨国实体招募、训练和部署外国人员，以支持准军事快速支援部队（RSF）。

列表 1/3 南苏丹伏击事件导致维和部队人员死亡

列表 2/3：乍得指责苏丹在两国边境附近发动空袭，造成 12 人死亡

医疗组织称，苏丹科尔多凡州遭叛军袭击，数十人丧生（列表3/3）。

该报告还称，“有合理理由相信”苏丹武装部队在其行动中使用了外国提供的无人机，对平民和民用基础设施造成了伤害。

自 2023 年 4 月以来，苏丹武装部队和快速支援部队之间的冲突已造成数万苏丹人死亡，并迫使数百万人逃离家园。

“这种支持为快速支援部队在赞赞难民营的行动以及后来占领法舍尔难民营的行动提供了支持，联合国特派团记录了严重的人权和违反国际人道主义法的行为以及国际罪行，包括表现出种族灭绝特征的行为，”特派团成员莫娜·里什马维说。

报告称，外部实体大幅提升了快速支援部队和新加坡武装部队的无人机能力，使他们能够打击远超前线的目标。

有记录的无人机袭击事件包括：快速支援部队在南科尔多凡州卡洛吉发动的袭击，造成 114 人死亡；以及军队在东达尔富尔州阿德达因发动的袭击，造成至少 70 人死亡，并摧毁了一家主要医院。

报告称，快速支援部队在北科尔多凡州欧拜伊德地区反复进行的无人机袭击，尤其是在今年7月至8月期间，可能“构成严重违反人权和国际人道主义法的行为，并可能构成战争罪”。

“这种外部援助的后果对平民百姓的影响最为严重，”特派团主席穆罕默德·钱德·奥斯曼说。

2026年2月24日，因战争流离失所的苏丹难民骑马穿过乍得的奥雷·卡索尼难民营。[图片：Dan Kitwood/Getty Images]

跨越多个国家的网络

调查记录了多达 2000 名前哥伦比亚军事承包商的部署情况，据称他们与快速支援部队一起在达尔富尔和科尔多凡直接操作作战无人机、火炮和先进武器。

哥伦比亚政府告诉调查人员，它反对雇佣兵主义，并正在采取措施解决其国民参与外国冲突的问题。

报告称，目击者还报告说，来自南苏丹、乍得和埃塞俄比亚的战斗人员“包括妇女，主要在前线而不是技术岗位上服役”，可以通过语言、口音“以及在某些情况下通过制服”来识别。

报告称，来自哥伦比亚和阿拉伯联合酋长国（阿联酋）等国的私人实体、中间人和招聘人员利用乍得、利比亚和索马里的中转站，向苏丹的快速支援部队提供人员、培训、武器和后勤保障。

阿联酋否认曾向快速支援部队提供军事、后勤、财政或政治支持。乍得表示在战争中保持中立，索马里政府则表示严肃对待报告中的指控，路透社报道称。

联合国特派团敦促各国停止非法供应网络，并执行联合国武器禁运。

联合国表示，自2023年以来，苏丹内战已导致超过1200万人流离失所，民用基础设施遭到严重破坏，基本公共服务瘫痪，并造成了世界上最严重的人道主义危机之一。至少有300万苏丹难民逃往包括埃及、乍得和南苏丹在内的邻国。

联合国人权理事会于2023年10月设立了实况调查团，开始收集苏丹境内侵犯人权行为的证据。该独立调查小组不代表联合国发言。