The New York Times reported on Thursday, November 5, that based on the findings of UN inspectors, the United Arab Emirates sent Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside Sudan's Rapid Reaction Force (RSF); the militia group accused of committing genocide and other massive crimes.
According to a secret report submitted to the Security Council last week and obtained by The New York Times, an Emirati security company with close ties to the country's government transferred Colombian soldiers to Sudan from areas controlled by UAE allies in Libya and Somalia. A number of these forces worked in a unit called "Desert Wolves" alongside the rapid reaction forces.
The New York Times described this report as one of the most detailed UN documents on the UAE's alleged role in the Sudanese civil war. Abu Dhabi is accused of supporting the rapid reaction forces by supplying drones, weapons and foreign troops. The UAE government has denied these allegations and said it does not support either side in the Sudanese war.
The publication of this report coincided with the appointment of Lana Nasiba, the UAE's foreign minister, to the position of UN Secretary General. The New York Times wrote that over the past few years, Nesiba has played a role in denying the allegations related to the role of the United Arab Emirates in the Sudan war, and now this issue has become one of the central points in his review of the record in the race for the Antonio Guterres network. In response to the New York Times, Nisiba said that ending the war in Sudan would be one of his priorities if elected UN Secretary-General, and emphasized that if UN inspectors identify the role of a foreign power in the escalation of the war, he will act against it.