Online Reporter
Embassy of Sudan in Zimbabwe
The ongoing war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 can no longer be viewed merely as an internal war that happened due to a failed coup d’etat without mentioning the foreign power involved in waging the war with military supply and mercenaries.
The foreign mercenaries and transnational armed actors have transformed the war into a dangerous regional and international security concern. The growing involvement of mercenaries represents a direct threat to Sudan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of the region.
Over the past months, the world witnessed the presence of Columbian mercenaries fighting alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) terrorist militia in Al-Fasher. Sudan’s government has repeatedly submitted evidence and documentation concerning the recruitment financing and transportation of mercenaries to international bodies including the United Nations.
The menace posed by foreign mercenaries extends far beyond their mere presence on the battlefield. They have been involved in operating drones, providing tactical training, managing sophisticated weapon systems and participating in specialised military operations.
Such involvement significantly escalates the intensity of the conflict, prolongs the war and contributes to widespread destruction and humanitarian suffering.
The use of mercenaries raises profound legal and moral concerns, including the UN International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, that explicitly condemns activities aimed at undermining the sovereignty of states through irregular armed groups.
The deployment of mercenaries is also frequently associated with grave violations of international humanitarian law, particularly against civilians due to the absence of accountability and ethical restraint among hired combatants.
Historical experience across Africa and the Middle-East demonstrate that conflicts fuelled by mercenary networks rarely end quickly, instead they evolve into protracted wars sustained by illicit financing, arms trafficking and the exploitation of natural resources.
In Sudan’s case, the continued influx of foreign fighters risks transforming the country into a hub of regional instability with consequences extending across the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and neighbouring states.
Equally concerning is the apparent willingness of certain external actors like the United Arab Emirates to approach the Sudanese crisis through the lens of geopolitical competition rather than humanitarian responsibility.
Such policies disregard the immense cost of the conflict which has already resulted in millions of displaced persons, the collapse of essential services, widespread famine risks and severe civilian suffering.
Addressing the threat posed by foreign mercenaries requires a firmer and more principled international response. Political statements alone are insufficient.
The international community must strengthen mechanisms aimed at monitoring illicit financing, disrupting arms transfers, combating transnational recruitment networks and holding accountable all actors involved in supporting armed groups operating outside the frameworks of the Sudanese state.
Ultimately, the path towards peace in Sudan lies in preserving state institutions, respecting national sovereignty and rejecting all attempts to turn Sudanese territory into an arena for proxy wars and foreign interference. Sudan, given its historical significance and strategic position in Africa and the Arab world, deserves stability, peace and national recovery — not a future shaped by mercenaries and external agendas.
Particular concern has also emerged regarding the recruitment and transfer of Columbian mercenaries through the network limited to the UAE in support of the RSF terrorist militia. A rather troubling dimension of the conflict has been the reported involvement of armed fighters from the Nuer tribe originating from neighbouring South Sudan.
Various reports emphasise that cross-border tribal and militia networks have facilitated the movement of combatants into Sudan’s conflict zones, further complicating the security landscape along the Sudan-South Sudan border.
The participation of such irregular foreign fighters risks deepening ethnic tensions, destabilising border regions and drawing vulnerable communities into a conflict that threatens the stability of both countries.
The development highlights the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation and stronger border security mechanisms to prevent the spillover and regionalisation of the Sudanese war. The ongoing war in the Sudan has revealed the extent of external interference that has contributed to prolonging and complicating the crisis fuelled by foreign actors and cross-border networks.
The participation of mercenaries and foreign fighters recruited from Chad, Mali, Niger and the Central African Republic is viewed as one of the most significant manifestations of this interference, with these elements being used in combat operations and in securing supply and smuggling routes across porous borders, thus internationalising the conflict and threatening regional peace and stability.
The government of Sudan also points to reports concerning the presence of elements linked to the Wagner Group private military company since the outset of the war in Khartoum and the networks associated with illicit resource exploitation and transnational criminal activities in the region. These actors have contributed to sustaining the conflict through logistical and technical support.
In the same context, the government expressed concern over what it described as the role of forces affiliated with Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya, that facilitate the movement of fighters and weapons across the shared borders. These forces have provided direct support that has fuelled the hostilities and undermined efforts to achieve peace.
Accordingly, the government of Sudan maintains that achieving a sustainable and lasting peace will not be possible without addressing the issue of mercenaries and foreign interference, dismantling the networks that finance and support the terrorist militia and ensuring full respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs.
It further calls upon the international community, the African Union and the UN to take decisive action against the recruitment and cross border movement of mercenaries, and to hold accountable all parties whose actions contribute to escalating and prolonging the ongoing war.
A notable recent development is the statement issued by the Group of Seven and the European Union which condemned the grave violations and atrocities committed during the conflict by the RSF terrorist militia and reaffirmed support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
These heinous deeds are in great need of accountability not mere condemnation. Hence they are serious violations of international humanitarian law and all human rights instruments. From the perspective of the Sudanese government, this represents an important affirmation that armed non-state actors cannot be regarded as equivalent to the state’s legitimate institutions.
It also reinforces the principle that any political process or external initiative concerning Sudan should preserve the country’s unity and rejects arrangements that could contribute to its fragmentation or undermine its sovereignty.
