A new report by The Associated Press indicates that child soldiers fighting for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces against Sudan’s army received training from Colombian mercenaries.
The report is based on rare, firsthand accounts gathered from former child soldiers housed at a rehabilitation center managed by the military-backed government in Khartoum. Tens of thousands of children as young as 8 have been recruited into the ongoing conflict by various parties, and many remain active on the front lines.
One boy recounted being shackled to an anti-aircraft gun and ordered to fire at army warplanes overhead under threat of death from his captors; he was 15 at the time. Another stated he was forced to operate artillery against targets identified by drones—which included civilians—and was beaten for any disobedience.
Tens of thousands of veterans from Colombia’s internal conflicts have been hired out in foreign wars, despite a recent law prohibiting such activities. The children's testimonies suggest these mercenaries are widely deployed across Sudan.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have faced accusations of atrocities. Rights organizations report that a state-linked firm in the United Arab Emirates has recruited Colombians to fight alongside the RSF. Human rights groups and Sudan’s military accuse the UAE of arming the RSF, and a U.N. panel confirmed tracking weapon shipments to the group originating from the UAE.
The UAE, which includes Dubai as part of its Gulf federation, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. It has denied both arming the RSF and recruiting or training foreign fighters, asserting that the shipment in question consisted of humanitarian aid for refugees.
Key findings include:
Searing accounts from boys deployed to the front lines
At the rehabilitation center, one boy was missing a hand. Another displayed back scars attributed to torture, and a third had a bone protruding from his side.
The boy tied to the anti-aircraft gun stated that RSF fighters detained him and sent him to the front without him ever having held a weapon. He reported being held with dozens of other children whose hands were constantly bound.
He claimed foreigners, whom RSF fighters at his base identified as Colombians, trained the children and instructed the paramilitaries on strapping them to weapons. He showed head scars he attributed to shrapnel.
A boy from another camp described being locked up and only brought out for artillery strikes. When he refused to fire, captors would beat him, sometimes using an electric baton. In one instance, he reported a Colombian beating him unconscious. He also mentioned that an 18-year-old friend was shot dead during an escape attempt.
A member of the military media office accompanied the AP during the visit to the rehabilitation center but did not select who was interviewed. The AP maintains full editorial control over its content.
Report suggests broader involvement of Colombian mercenaries
Human Rights Watch and Conflict Insights Group, a private research firm, have documented the presence of Colombian mercenaries with the RSF in Sudan’s western Darfur region, including during the October capture of El Fasher, where RSF fighters are accused of mass killings.
Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, a senior adviser at Human Rights Watch, stated, “The evidence suggests the UAE could be substantially contributing to the RSF’s widespread crimes against humanity.”
In separate reports this year, Human Rights Watch and Conflict Insights Group indicated that Colombians were hired by an Emirati contractor and trained in Emirati military bases. The UAE previously denied these allegations to the BBC, stating that any entity involved would face criminal accountability.
A Colombian mercenary who fought in Darfur in 2025 told the AP that hundreds of Colombians were on the front lines with the RSF at that time and participated in training recruits. He observed children as young as 13 fighting with the RSF, speaking anonymously due to legal concerns.
Less is known about the Colombians’ role in Khartoum. Ali Qader, head of the rehabilitation center, reported that several children told him Colombians trained them at camps near the capital.
A former RSF fighter who defected to the government side and spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal told the AP he witnessed Colombians training children in Khartoum in July 2024. A Sudanese military officer also stated that Colombians were training children in and around Khartoum when the RSF controlled the city; this officer was not authorized to speak with journalists and therefore spoke anonymously.
The U.N. reports that all sides involved in the conflict have utilized child soldiers, including militias allied with the government.
Children often lack options for return
Despite being forced into combat, many of the boys cannot return home to their families due to their association with the RSF.
Zeinab Mahjoub, a psychologist at the government facility holding them, said she attempts to persuade relatives not to abandon the boys, who are dealing with their own trauma.
The U.N. children’s agency in Sudan is working to expedite the release of these boys. Since the AP's visit to the center in April, the children have been released.