# Report Exposes Scale of UAE Involvement in Sudan as Phone Data Tracks Colombian Mercenaries
*A groundbreaking new report drawing on phone location data has revealed the extent of foreign involvement in Sudan’s devastating civil war, documenting Colombian mercenaries operating alongside the Rapid Support Forces and tracing financial flows from the United Arab Emirates to RSF-linked entities.*
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A major new report published on April 22, 2026, by the Conflict Insights Group (CIG), a London-based research organization specializing in the use of forensic data in conflict analysis, has provided the most detailed evidence yet of the scale of foreign military involvement in Sudan’s civil war—and, crucially, the role of the United Arab Emirates in supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The 200-page report, titled “Tracking the War: Phone Data, Foreign Fighters, and UAE Networks in Sudan,” combines satellite imagery analysis, commercial phone location data, social media intelligence, and field reporting to build a comprehensive picture of the conflict’s international dimensions.
## What the Data Shows
The CIG research team obtained anonymized but device-identifiable phone location data from commercial data brokers—a controversial but increasingly common practice in conflict research. By cross-referencing phone pings with known RSF positions and military installations, the researchers were able to identify individuals operating in conflict zones who were not Sudanese nationals.
“We identified a significant presence of non-African foreign personnel operating in RSF-controlled areas, particularly around Darfur and in the greater Khartoum region,” said Dr. Amara Kone, the report’s lead author and a former senior analyst at the International Criminal Court. “The phone location data provides a timestamped, geolocated record of their movements.”
The most striking finding is the identification of Colombian nationals operating alongside RSF forces in multiple locations over an 18-month period. The report traces these individuals’ phone signals from arrival points on Sudan’s eastern border through RSF-controlled territory, establishing patterns of movement consistent with military operations.
## The UAE Connection
Perhaps more significant than the mercenary identification is the report’s documentation of financial networks linking the UAE to RSF-linked entities. Commercial records analyzed by CIG researchers show shell companies registered in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that appear to serve as conduits for the movement of funds to RSF commanders.
The UAE has consistently denied providing military support to the RSF, stating that its assistance to Sudan is delivered through “official channels” and is “humanitarian in nature.” However, the CIG report documents specific financial flows that bypass official Sudanese government structures entirely.
“The scale and sophistication of these networks is inconsistent with a humanitarian program,” Dr. Kone noted. “This is state-level financial infrastructure supporting a paramilitary force that has been implicated in some of the worst atrocities in the current conflict.”
## Humanitarian Implications
Sudan’s civil war, now in its fourth year, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The United Nations estimates that more than 11 million people have been displaced, with famine conditions affecting several regions, particularly in Darfur and South Kordofan.
Aid organizations have struggled to maintain access to RSF-controlled areas, where reports of systematic violence against civilian populations have been documented by multiple international organizations. The CIG report’s findings may increase pressure on donor governments to condition humanitarian assistance on access guarantees—and to more aggressively investigate the financial networks that sustain the RSF.
International human rights organizations say the report’s findings should prompt formal investigations. “There is now a credible evidentiary basis for investigating whether the UAE’s support to RSF constitutes participation in international crimes,” said a legal director at a prominent international human rights organization. “We are calling on the International Criminal Court to take note.”
## Political Fallout
The report is likely to complicate diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. The UAE has been attempting to position itself as a peacemaker, hosting talks between Sudanese parties. The United States has been pressing for a ceasefire while maintaining a complex relationship with Gulf states whose policies on Sudan it finds problematic.
For Sudanese civilians caught between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, the revelations offer little immediate relief. But analysts say the documentation of foreign involvement is an essential step toward accountability.
“The question of who is financing and supporting the RSF is not an academic one,” Dr. Kone said. “It is central to understanding how this war is sustained—and therefore how it might be stopped.”
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*Photo: Humanitarian crisis in Sudan — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)*