UN report finds foreign mercenaries, drones fueling Sudan's civil war

A United Nations-backed fact-finding mission reports that external networks and mercenaries are fueling Sudan’s civil war, expanding both sides’ capabilities with weapons, drones, and logistical support, at grave cost to civilians. The investigation documents transnational entities recruiting and deploying foreign personnel to assist the RSF, and confirms that foreign-supplied drones have been used by the SAF against civilians and civilian infrastructure. It notes up to 2,000 Colombian contractors involved in operating advanced drone systems and highlights arms and technology transfers through networks linked to the UAE, Chad, Libya and Somalia, with Turkish-made drones also flowing to the SAF. The report stresses the obligation of states to enforce the Darfur arms embargo, investigate illicit networks, and curb such transfers to prevent further violations and war crimes. The humanitarian toll remains catastrophic, with millions displaced since 2023 and dozens of deadly drone strikes targeting hospitals, schools and markets in both Darfur and Kordofan. Investigators also point to illicit mineral wealth funding the conflict, including gold smuggling routes to the UAE that help sustain the fighting.